A CRITICAL STEP: Delays in vaccination “place us all at risk”, says health minister

A CRITICAL STEP: Delays in vaccination “place us all at risk”, says health minister
(FILE PHOTO)

19% of Bahamas’ adult population vaccinated

“The nation needs your cooperation, not competition or confrontation”

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Delays in uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine by those eligible to take it “will continue to place us all at risk” of more infections, severe illness and death, Minister of Health Renward Wells said during debate in the House of Assembly yesterday.

“Vaccinations can eliminate economic challenges brought on by measures taken to contain the spread of COVID-19 and prevent delays in restarting the tourism economic engine,” he told Parliament.

Nearly 19 percent of the adult population of The Bahamas has received a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, according to Wells, who noted that inoculation against the virus is a “critical next step for us as a country to move beyond the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis receives his second dose of the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Kendal GL Isaacs National Gymnasium on Monday, May 10, 2021. (BIS PHOTO)

The Bahamas Department of Statistics population projections peg that there will be 272,160 adults aged 20 years and older this year.

As of June 15, a total of 70,573 doses had been administered — 51,099 first doses and 19,474 second doses.

“This translates to 18.8 percent of the population receiving first doses and 7.2 percent of the population completing the vaccine schedule or are fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” Wells said.

Vaccination remains voluntary.

During the recent 74th World Health Assembly, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus challenged members states to achieve vaccination of at least 10 percent of the population of all countries by the end of September 2021 and at least 30 percent by the end of the year.

Wells said the goal is achievable.

“In our local context, we believe this to be achievable, especially when we take stock of the age grouping with lower uptake of the vaccine,” he said.

“This age grouping is the same age grouping accounting for the greatest COVID-19 disease burden — those 49 years and under.”

National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committe Chairperson Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis receives her first dose of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine at Loyola Hall on Gladstone Road on Sunday, March 14, 2021.

Data gleaned from National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee shows that 8.9 percent of doses were administered to those between 20 and 29 years old; 12.8 percent to those 30 to 39; and 17 percent to those 40 to 49.

The minister said the path to normalcy rests heavily on those age groups.

“We can get to 30 percent in the first instance before September,” he said.

“The nation needs your cooperation, not competition or confrontation.

“Philippians 2:3,4 admonishes: ‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.’ There has never been a more ripe and opportune time for this scripture to minister to us.”

Wells said the government understands Bahamians have opted to receive and complete their vaccination schedules in other jurisdictions such as the United States.

He encouraged university students and temporary contract workers who have returned home or simply decided to vaccinate abroad to let the Ministry of Health know via vax.gov.bs so officials can get the “truer picture of our vaccination rate and profile in-country”.

About Royston Jones Jr.

Royston Jones Jr. is a senior digital reporter and occasional TV news anchor at Eyewitness News. Since joining Eyewitness News as a digital reporter in 2018, he has done both digital and broadcast reporting, notably providing the electoral analysis for Eyewitness News’ inaugural election night coverage, “Decision Now 2021”.