Prison officers pleased to have vaccines – but say they should do own research

President of the Prison Officers Association (POA) Ceron Richards is happy about covid19 vaccines being available to the prison service.

But he is urging his members to do their own research and make an informed decision when considering whether or not to take the vaccine.

Speaking with Newsday on Tuesday, Richards said the association has not directly addressed vaccine hesitancy before and hoped officers would be responsible in their decision-making.

He said as the world was going ahead with vaccination, it was important TT was not left behind, but maintained the choice about being vaccinated should be left to individual officers.

Nevertheless, he said, "The world is vaccinating, and the science points to the fact that people who get vaccinated are better protected.

"There is a lot of information being bandied about on social media, But it's important for the officers to do their own research and ask whatever questions they may have to the healthcare professionals.

"But I think vaccination is normal, it is something that has been done since I know myself, and it's an important response to the outbreak of any disease.

"We continue to encourage all officers to do their part in fighting the coronavirus, But we don't condone mandatory vaccinations."

Richards said the association would continue to encourage all its officers to take the necessary measures to protect themselves on the job and commended the government for its support.