Opposition asks PM: Did you get Pfizer vaccine?

THE Opposition wants a list of names of the National Security Ministry staff members who took the Pfizer covid19 vaccine from the 80 vials donated by the US.

In Parliament on Wednesday morning, Caroni Central MP Arnold Ram asked the Prime Minister to "identify the group of persons who have received the 200 first shot of the Pfizer vaccines."

Dr Rowley said he was not prepared to identify individuals who took any particular vaccine.

"I did say to the country last week that it was offered to the National Security department and it has so been used under the guidance of the Ministry of Health."

Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal then asked if, at a later time, Rowley could provide the House with a list of people who have received the vaccine, saying it was a matter of public record.

Rowley said, "I do not have that information but if the member wants names of who got it, then I'll ask the Ministry of Health whether they are prepared to do that, whether the patient record is available.

"But I will also tell the member there was no suspicious nature other than the suspicion you tried to create."

Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh then asked if Rowley could identify the classification of workers who got the vaccine.

Rowley said if it is a national security matter, he will not answer the question.

Ram then asked Rowley if he took the Pfizer vaccine, to which he said the Opposition should stop trying to mislead the public with "blatant lies.

"Unlike the other leader of this House, I told this country when I can be vaccinated."

He said Ram is a "mischief-maker," adding, "Go and find out from your leader when she took it."

Opposition MPs said it was a yes-or-no question and that Rowley did not have to ramble.

In May, Rowley said he could receive his first dose of a World Health Organization (WHO)-approved covid19 vaccine in October.

He was set to receive his first dose on April 6, when the first tranche of 33,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in Trinidad and Tobago. But he was diagnosed with covid19 on that day and went into quarantine for two weeks.

He then tested covid19-negative on April 26 and subsequently came out of quarantine.