Minister of Health Renward Wells.
HEALTH Minister Renward Wells stressed yesterday that Bahamians will not be forced to take a vaccine for COVID-19 while at the same time revealing his ministry has already drafted a “fully functional, laid out vaccination plan” developed over the past two months.
“It is our intent to be able to vaccinate every Bahamian that wants the vaccine,” he told reporters outside of the House of Assembly.
“No one is being forced to take this, not even healthcare workers, no one in the country. As you rightfully know we have put down a down payment on getting at least 80,000 doses which equates to about 20 percent of our population which is the agreed standard globally for all the countries around the globe.
“Everyone through the WHO (World Health Organisation) is going to get enough to vaccinate in the first instance about 20 percent of its population. The Bahamas has put forward $250,000 on that facility, the COVAX facility through the WHO, but we as a country also reserve the right to go directly to manufacturers such as Moderna (and) Pfizer. As you know Moderna and Pfizer have put out their results, that their vaccines (are) some 95 percent effective. That is just phenomenal in medical terms.
“We do know what the immediate and short-term effect of taking those vaccines are and now I understand that Oxford has a vaccine now that is about 70 percent effective so the government of The Bahamas is actively engaged into looking how we can source vaccines, deployed very quickly throughout the country so that we could open up our economy and put our people back to work in a very meaningful way.”
With the country seeing a significant decline in COVID-19 cases over the last month, Mr Wells said the epidemic curve of the virus is flattening, though he said time will tell if the second wave has ended.
“I can certainly say that the curve is flattening in the second wave based on all the indications,” he said. “Are we at the end? That remains to be seen. Over the next week or two we will have an opportunity to more fully delve into the data and be able to give a more concrete answer as to that. But you know, hope springs eternal and it is my hope that we are at the end of the second wave of COVID-19 and I’m praying that we don’t go into a third wave of COVID-19 but as the prime minister said, that is fully dependent on the Bahamian people, us adhering to the health protocols, us doing the kind of disciplined things that we have been doing as the displaced people that we are.”
Mr Wells also defended the declining rate of COVID-19 testing in the country. COVID-19 tests dropped more than 50 percent between November 1 and November 23.
“All of the indicators for the spread of COVID-19 in the country are way down and obviously that is evidence that we are flattening the curve and all of the healthcare protocols and plans that the government has instituted in regards to how we can control COVID-19 is bearing much fruit,” he said.
“So even though the testing is down, it’s a part of our testing protocol. We test those who present, who are symptomatic and we do the RT-PCR test on them which is the gold standard and the mere fact that persons aren’t presenting with symptoms shows that in fact the numbers are down as a result and the testing is down because the spread is down. You could look at our hospitalisation. As of yesterday, we had 19 persons in hospital, down from a high of 122 persons, I think ... October 24 is the date.”
Comments
GodSpeed 3 years, 5 months ago
Good cause I wasn't taking that either way. If people understood how mRNA vaccines work they would run for their lives. Let the brainwashed CNN and MSNBC viewers be the guinea pigs.
Bobsyeruncle 3 years, 5 months ago
As someone with a science background, I understand how Messenger RNA vaccines work, but I have to ask, do you ? If so, please explain how a vaccine that instructs the cells in your body to make a harmless piece of spike protein, would make people 'run for their lives' ? I'm never averse to learning something new or seeing the other side of the coin, as long as it has supporting scientific data, so I'm willing to listen to your reasoning..
GodSpeed 3 years, 5 months ago
If you have a "science background" and know how they work then you should know mRNA vaccines have NEVER been used on humans before, correct? They've only been tested on animals for the last 20 years and in the animal studies it appeared to be a success... the animals had a robust immune system, a great T-Cell response... but then they carried out the challenge tests. When they challenged the animals they had a cytokine storm... worsened response, they got sicker and some even died. They had lung inflammation, liver failure etc. SO perhaps that's why they're purposefully skipping the animal trials in this particular vaccine for us? And remember that it's unethical to carry out challenge trials on humans yet that is exactly what's happening already. Furthermore these companies producing the vaccines have been given indemnity so that means there is a perfect storm of a moral hazard present. mRNA vaccines have complications that scientists are still researching and unknown risks. These vaccines are completely new and we know absolutely nothing about their long term effects. If that doesn't scare the hell out of you and make you want to "run for your life" then go right ahead and jump to the front of the line for your inoculation.
Bobsyeruncle 3 years, 5 months ago
HCT's are essentially the same as Phase I (FIH) trials, that ALL drugs have to go through before going into Phase II & Phase III. FIH studies are always conducted on normal healthy volunteers, at lower doses, than those showing adverse events (AE's) or death during the animal Tox & PK studies.
Part of the animal testing process is to find the dosage at which adverse events (AE's) and death (LD50) occur. So, as cruel as it sounds, animal Tox studies require subjecting the animals to increasing doses until AE's & death occur. So, the effects you described above are EXACTLY what you are supposed to see during animal testing as we need to know at what dosage bad things will start to be seen in us humans.
Yes, mRNA is a relatively new area but that doesn't mean it's going to fail or be dangerous. If the world took that attitude with every new development like, X-Rays, MRI's, microwaves, cellphones, computers etc. etc. we would still be in the dark ages thinking the earth was flat.
Proguing 3 years, 4 months ago
They are not going to force you to take it, but if you want to board a plane you will have to take it, if you want to visit another country you will have to take it, if you want your children to go to school they will have to take it etc.
GodSpeed 3 years, 4 months ago
Mark of the Beast
joeblow 3 years, 5 months ago
... talking heads in this country are great at leading from behind! If nothing else this pandemic has exposed the critical shortage of critical thinkers and problem solvers we have 'serving' us in government!
tribanon 3 years, 5 months ago
No, no, no!!!! That simply can't be so!!
If the incompetent authority orders us to get a poisonous injection or take a poisonous pill, then we must immediately obey and do so or risk being fined or incarcerated, or risk not being able to participate in certain types of societal gatherings or functions like visiting hospitals or even flying from point A to point B on a passenger airline.
We must either take the poisonous vaccine or risk having our civil rights and liberties seriously curtailed by either our own government or the governments of other nations like the US which has all but shredded its own Constitution and Bill of Rights. Make no mistake about it, COVID-19 is being leveraged by the super wealthy globalist ruling class and their elitist political friends worldwide to push the 'reset button' and thereby do away with all individual rights and liberties. This is the New World Order that we must fully conform with or be severely punished for not doing so. So suck it up and get in line for that poisonous vaccine or else!!! LMAO
jackbnimble 3 years, 5 months ago
The vaccine should be optional.
jackbnimble 3 years, 5 months ago
I clearly remember reading comments from him when he first became Minnis’s errand boy - I mean the Min. of Health - when he said the Government was in the process of drafting legislation to make it mandatory to take the vaccine and that no one would be able to return to work until they had taken it beginning with the elderly and persons with underlying issues. Made up my mind from then I would join any group that was prepared to resist this. It should not be mandatory.
FrustratedBusinessman 3 years, 5 months ago
The legality for such a mandate would be rightfully challenged, hence the change in direction on this policy.
tribanon 3 years, 4 months ago
Big pharma is leveraging COVID-19 for all it's worth to them. They're working with governments around the world to take control of your body for their own very evil and nefarious motives.
Symonetty 3 years, 4 months ago
New world order foulks resident evil is about to happen ,have you heard about the covid minks in Denmark coming back to life after being dead, the movies are becoming real my people zombies remember world war z
TalRussell 3 years, 4 months ago
But in other health related news. A 33-year-old man was yesterday ordered to pay $1,500 or be forced by the colony be's spending six months up in an overcrowded slop bucket Fox Hill prison after he was found last week with 1 and 5/8 ounces of weed,
The $1,500 court fine is what like three times weeds street value?
Shakehead once for upyeahvote, twice for not to risk sentencing a man to what even the most ardent advocates callin' for the jailin' of all can see how his sentence for but weed possession may very well turn into a death sentence should he become COVID infected?
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