Miller: No one officer has come forward to say “listen, we’re going to take this vaccine”
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — While insisting the Police Staff Association (PSA) will not influence officers either way when it comes to vaccination against COVID-19 as it is a “personal choice”, PSA Executive Chairman Sonny Miller said the majority of its members seem reluctant to receive the jab.
“As an association, again, we leave that decision up to them basically because of all the information, whether it is true or false, it has people pessimistic, almost reluctant as to going to take it,” he told Eyewitness News.
“Again, as an association, we are leaving that up to our members because we believe that it is the personal choice to them if one must take and we’re not going to try to influence them to take it or not to take it because we don’t know people’s health condition or anything of that sort.
“So, us as an association, we leave it up to them.
“I can say that we don’t have one person on the record at this time; we don’t have one individual on record at this time that says to us as an association: ‘Listen, we’re going to take this vaccine.’”
Asked if there was a reluctant view among the majority of members, Miller said: “Yes, that’s the way it appears.”
The representatives of nurses and consultant physicians in The Bahamas have expressed a similar view — that there is hesitancy among their members and concerns about insufficient information and communication with health officials on the vaccine.
When asked if the PSA had met with health officials and or the commissioner of police, Miller said: “We have not been made aware of any, however, we’re open to it.
“And I’ve said with some of your colleagues that I think the education is going to be key and paramount because the prime minister, in his interview a few weeks ago, he spoke about the information that is going around on social media and he alluded to it, calling it fake information.
“However, we are looking forward to the information and we think that there must be a whole lot of education going on, so that…we can make a sound [decision].”
Miller said he does not believe the association has sufficient information, and “with us not having sufficient information, I don’t personally think that the officers have sufficient either”.
Yesterday, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) sought to allay fears over concerns over the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine causing blood clots in recipients, finding in its review that the vaccine was “not associated” with the occurrence of blood clots in fewer than 40 people.
The EU regulator noted it will continue to review the possibility of an association.
The fears surrounding the possible link raised further concerns in The Bahamas among some quarters of the public and healthcare professionals.
The batches of AstraZeneca being used in Europe differ from the 20,000 doses donated to The Bahamas last week Wednesday, which were manufactured and donated by India — one of the largest vaccine manufacturers in the world.
The government has said the doses met all World Health Organization (WHO) requirements and standards.
The government maintains vaccination will be voluntary, though Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has become increasingly vocal in his push for Bahamians to be inoculated when the time comes.
Vaccination is currently available for healthcare workers, residents and staff of nursing homes and uniformed branches.
