NASSAU, BAHAMAS — While just under half of the healthcare workers in the country have taken the jab, only 15 percent of uniformed branches have followed suit and become inoculated against the coronavirus, according to Minister of Health Renward Wells.
During debate on a resolution to extend the emergency orders to August 13 yesterday, which the minister called “necessary”, Wells revealed that among all healthcare workers, clinical and non-clinical, 2,626 of 5,771 workers or 45.5 percent had been vaccinated.
Among the uniformed branches, men and women also on the frontlines of the country’s defenses, only 1,199 of 7,770 officers or 15.4 percent had been vaccinated.
Meanwhile, among those ages 60 and older, there was a 22.1 percent vaccination rate, with 6,339 of 28,630 people in that age bracket receiving the vaccine.
“Though these numbers are encouraging, the influential role of healthcare workers as leaders in this fight is undisputable,” Wells said.
“While almost 50 percent are already vaccinated, we underscore that health worker safety is a priority for patient safety.
“For those not yet vaccinated, we implore you to take advantage of the vaccination opportunity at your nearest vaccination center.”
According to the minister, approximately 40,000 people have received their first dose of Oxford AstraZeneca.
The government continues to administer second doses of the vaccine.
The Bahamas remains in the third wave of the virus.
Wells and other government officials have encouraged the populous to take the vaccine, which remains voluntary in The Bahamas.
According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), The Bahamas, with its population of just under 400,000, had administered 39,230 first doses and 627 second doses of the vaccine as of last Friday.
Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has foreshadowed discontinuation of the emergency orders by mid-August, with vaccinations “aggressively and progressively moving throughout the world and continuing in The Bahamas”.
The nation continues to record high double-digit cases of COVID-19.
Hospitalizations have also increased in the last month.
Wells said “health worker fatigue” has also increased.
There have been 221 COVID-related deaths, of which 53 alone occurred in the ongoing third wave.
This does not account for the 26 deaths that remain under review.
Meanwhile, The Bahamas’ positivity rate has increased from around eight percent in April to 15 percent — well over the recommended rate of five percent.
