NATUC: No to mandatory vaccination

NATIONAL Trade Union Centre (Natuc) head Michael Annisette in a statement on Tuesday called on the Government to take several steps towards reassuring the population about its vaccination programme, also expressing a "loud and reverberating no" to the mandatory vaccination of public servants.

Firstly, he called for "a national and transparent definition of covid19 fatalities," saying not everyone who dies with covid19 had actually died from covid19.

He said some people affected by covid19 had a sub clinical condition, not requiring medical attention, and others would be asymptomatic.

"Deaths therefore in persons who tested positive should not be listed as part of the covid statistics, unless the patient succumbs to a pathology related to covid19, like respiratory failure, secondary to covid lung injury/pneumonia.

"Natuc continues to wonder aloud if patients who succumb to another primary condition, for example heart disease resulting in a heart attack, and who may have been tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 (covid19), are being included in the covid statistics."

Annisette called on Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram to clear the air.

"Natuc is of the belief that without a standardised case definition for covid fatalities, deceased persons without incidental covid can be misappropriated into daily statistics.

"Natuc is insisting that Trinidad and Tobago must explicitly define a standardised case definition for covid fatalities in order to avoid panic in the public domain."

Secondly, on the heels of a call by protective services associations, Annisette likewise urged the Government to accept liability for any injury among all citizens.

"Natuc believes that if the Government or private sector is serious about mandatory vaccination, the question of injury and liability acceptance by health care professionals and the Government in TT, must be accepted on behalf of all workers."

Thirdly, he wanted to know about the contents of vaccines.

"The question of voluntary informed consent about the ingredients and quality of evidence in the context of long-term safety and efficacy of the vaccine must also form part of the Government’s policy for transparency purposes."

Fourthly, Annisette called for a protocol for health care professionals to follow in any cases of injury from vaccines.

He hailed the country's frontline workers during the pandemic.

The union leader made no apology for not attending last week's meeting of labour leaders with Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi.

"Natuc is forced to remind the Attorney General and this government that the main goal of social dialogue is to promote consensus building and democratic involvement among main stakeholders in the world of work. We must forever understand that 'Until the lion learns to speak the hunter will always tell the story".

Annisette vowed Natuc would not passively accept mandatory vaccinations.

"Natuc says no to mandatory vaccination.

"Natuc says no to safe zones. Natuc says yes to genuine social dialogue.

"Natuc will not stand idly by and allow this barbaric act of mandatory vaccinations to be effected on the innocent citizens of our beloved twin island."

Newsday was unable to get a response from Parasram.