EDITORIAL: PM calls on citizens to get vaccinated

As of Monday, August 23, 2021

WITH COVID-19 still surging and after the election bell was rung last week, there was a lot of expectation around last night’s national address by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.

What we got was a lot of recycled pieces of information from previous statements. With no new major points announced, we wondered what the point was of addressing the nation other than to put the Prime Minister in front of people for twenty minutes.

That isn’t to undermine the importance of his main message – it was just that there was nothing new for the nation to consider.

That main message remains crucial – get vaccinated.

There are encouraging signs that people are taking heed, too. A total of 11,496 doses were administered from Monday to Saturday last week, with most of those being people getting their first doses.

“These are significant and very good numbers,” said Dr Minnis. “We are making progress though we still have much work to do.”

Some smart decisions were on show too, such as making the single dose vaccine from Johnson & Johnson available to the Family Islands, which might help to overcome hurdles in getting doses back to people in time for a second dose.

There was also the announcement of a donation of 5,500 gallons of oxygen, although without information about how long that is expected to last, it is hard for people to judge exactly how helpful that is.

He also spelled out how COVID-19 will change the election – with campaign groups limited to five, all of whom must be fully vaccinated, which might raise some challenges for candidates who are not vaccinated.

Another change sees Bahamians who are 65 or older allowed to vote in the advance polls, which will reduce crowds on election day itself.

But the emphasis was on the need to vaccinate.

Over the weekend, there have been another eight deaths from COVID confirmed. This comes in the wake of a number of deaths recorded last week, and continuing high numbers of cases.

The vast majority of those in hospital, and especially of those who are dying from COVID, are people who are not fully vaccinated. That bears repeating – if you are fully vaccinated, the chances of you needing hospital treatment if you do catch COVID are significantly reduced, and the chances of dying are very slim indeed.

There are many who might not have taken the vaccine previously because they didn’t have the opportunity – well, the opportunity is here now. There are those who might have been wary because of misinformation circulating online, but the simple truth is that the vaccine gives you a much better chance. There are those who cannot take the vaccine for medical reasons, such as a specific allergy. The rest of us can help those people by taking the vaccine ourselves, and reducing the risk of spreading to those individuals.

Over the weekend, a conservative radio host in the US, Phil Valentine, who had played down COVID, saying “I have a very low risk of A) Getting COVID and B) dying of it if I do” did indeed die from the disease. His family told of how he had changed his mind during his sickness and had he returned to his show he would have urged people to get vaccinated. But for him, it was too late.

This virus won’t stop just because you don’t believe in it, and too many of us now have friends or relatives who have died from the disease or who have suffered from it.

So as much as the Prime Minister’s speech itself might have been old news, the message remains as important as ever.

Get vaccinated.

John 2 years, 8 months ago

. He also spelled out how COVID-19

will change the election – with campaign groups limited to five, all of whom must be fully vaccinated, which might raise some challenges for candidates who are not vaccinated.< .

. . . This right here is probably the most dangerous proclamation The PM made since becoming the competent authority. How can he snatch away citizens rights in an effort to force them to take vaccines they don’t want? Especially since there are even more effective measures to protect themselves than becoming vaccinated and protect the people they visit during the campaign. Especially since the manufacturers of the vaccines say (and their data confirms) the vaccines are becoming ineffective against the new strains of the corona virus including the Delta strain. Especially since the manufacturers of the vaccines say, the vaccines can , in fact create super spreaders and hinder the fight against the Covid pandemic. Especially since a spokesperson for Oxford, the manufacturers of Ine of the vaccines say the vaccines in their current form are becoming obsolete and no longer recommends vaccinations if populations in large clusters, but still recommends vaccines to most at risk persons. Minnis, in his loyalty to vaccines, has set up the perfect conditions for ALL the election results to be challenged and overturned.

JokeyJack 2 years, 8 months ago

This gives the COI an advantage since people can see this is an obvious attempt to sideline any Party or candidates that have not drunk the Kool-Aid. In other words, if you are a candidate that is not in complete agreement with us then you cannot campaign. And, of course, if you are a candidate that is in complete agreement with us - then why would anyone choose you over us since you are the same - LOL. A brilliant move, but the people will right through it and will choose to vote themselves out of tyranny. Once thing is for sure if you vote for red or yellow tyranny this time, there won't be any election next time, because they will then know that they can do ANYTHING to Bahamians and they will just like down like dog with broken hind leg.

John 2 years, 8 months ago

PS not only is there concern that vaccinated persons can carry just as much viral loads as unvaccinated people and without symptoms and become super spreaders, but there is now concern for the vaccinated people after the vaccines wear off ( lose there effectiveness). Will these people have to continue to take booster shots or be left with a compromised immune system that will leave them more vulnerable to the virus than an unvaccinated counterparts? And damaged organs due to the virus being suppressed over long periods of time.

carltonr61 2 years, 8 months ago

Minnis has created a super perilous condition all the wrong moves at the perfect time to create a predermined calamitous worst of stews. In all is wisdon he repeats what Modi of India did. Just to hold onto power at any cost. People are dying because of conditions of chaos on the ground that were avoidable. Some master genius all Competant one with record massive deaths. This he would not listen to Nurses And Physicians Union, doctors and nurses on the ground. His heart just gets colder as all Pharaoh's of history. We cannot trust our future by his example, by Christmas we we all be dead.

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