The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.ent

THE government’s COVID-19 vaccination programme will officially begin on Abaco tomorrow.

Local officials expect a good turnout for the first phase of the island’s rollout.

In a statement released yesterday, the National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee said the vaccinations will be administered to residents on mainland Abaco and its surrounding cays, beginning Thursday until Monday.

Those eligible to receive the first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine are healthcare workers, teachers and staff of schools, persons 50 years of age and older; uniformed branches and hospitality workers.

Vaccination sites identified on the island include local healthcare facilities and school institutions, such as the Marsh Harbour Clinic, Fox Town Clinic, Cooper’s Town Clinic, etc, and the Guana Cay All Age School.

However, vaccination centres there will not be open simultaneously, but instead have been assigned specific days for vaccinations. Appointments can be made online at https://vax.gov.bs and or booked on site.

It was previously announced that vaccinations would begin on Abaco last week, but the shots were never administered on the island.

Yesterday, Minister of Health Renward Wells said the delay was due to security concerns on the island.

“It is not the challenges post Dorian,” he replied when asked about the matter.

“We are always concerned about the security situation for the vaccine so that is why the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, as you would all know that they (are) the guards, the security for our vaccine site. They also collect the vaccine when it comes to the airport.

“They take the vaccines to the various sites and so we’re just making sure that the security logistics (are) in place for each island when we deploy the vaccine to that island.”

It is not clear how many vaccine doses will be sent to the island, with Mr Wells unable to say when asked by reporters.

However, officials have expressed confidence that there will be sufficient vaccine supply “to meet the needs and the interests” of those Abaco residents who want to take the vaccine in the first phase.

“I would’ve had many number of persons reach out to me as to how they can get the vaccines so there’s definitely interest on the island about getting the vaccine,” Central and South Abaco MP James Albury told The Tribune yesterday.

“And the Ministry of Health team is doing a far-reaching campaign so they will be all over the islands and the cays doing the vaccinations so we will be able to cover a good cross section of the population.

“So, I’m very excited that we’re finally getting them on island, and I think it’s a good step because the more people that have the vaccines nationwide, the quicker we can get out of this situation we’re in and return to some normalcy so I’m very happy they’re coming,” Mr Albury added.

This comes as COVID-19 cases continue to increase on the island, with total infections now at 327 after an additional case was recorded there on Monday.

In February, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis reinstated more restrictive measures on the island, including a new curfew and tighter travel guidelines after the island saw a spike of COVID-19 infections.

However, with vaccinations set to begin on Abaco this week, Mr Albury said he is hoping that the island will soon start to see an ease of the curfew restrictions.

“I’m a proponent of easing the curfew, at least back to 10pm,” the Abaco MP said.

“Obviously, that decision is not ultimately up to me. It’s up to the competent authority and health administrations but I certainly feel that especially after the first round of vaccinations, I think Abaco is ready to go back to an easier curfew.”

To date, more than 15,000 vaccinations have been administered on New Providence, Grand Bahama and Eleuthera.

“We have not made it available to the entire populous and so could you imagine if it was opened to the entire populous, certainly the uptick would be even greater,” Mr Wells said of the vaccine numbers.

“We are seeing a lot of folks stepping forward and taking the vaccines.”

Vaccinations on Eleuthera have not yet resumed since the programme was placed on hold earlier this month.

However, yesterday, Mr Wells told reporters: “We would’ve vaccinated Harbour Island and North Eleuthera and we’re putting additional security measures in place so we can then move to vaccinating all of mainland Eleuthera.”