Now Wells hopes herd immunity by August

Health Minister Renward Wells. Photo: Donavan McIntosh

As of Tuesday, June 22, 2021

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of Health Renward Wells says the government hopes the country achieves herd immunity against COVID-19 by August.

He spoke to reporters at Odyssey Airport when thousands of Oxford-AstraZeneca doses were shipped to the Family Islands yesterday, as part two of the vaccine programme for those islands. The Rhode Island National Guard handled the delivery.

Earlier this month, Mr Wells estimated that 120,000 people need to be vaccinated in order for the nation to”be in a good place”. Most other experts believe herd immunity won’t happen until 320,000 people have been vaccinated.

Asked yesterday if people who have been infected with COVID-19 previously will be taken into consideration, he said: “Obviously we are going to take those individuals into consideration as well because they are a part of the overall national profile as individuals who would have received vaccinations, who would have developed antibodies against COVID-19 but we also have a very large part of the Bahamian populace who would have been exposed to COVID.

“Our COVID numbers are around 12,500 persons and if you take in those who are symptomatic and asymptomatic and those who are being vaccinated - I believe as the Prime Minister would have said, by August we’re looking to have achieved herd immunity in The Bahamas. That’s our goal, that’s what we’re seeking to do.”

As the Minnis administration continues its vaccination push, there are mounting concerns about the Delta variant being in the country, a strain which is highly transmissible and spreading fast around the world. Mr Wells said officials suspect that a COVID variant is in the country based on trends during the third wave. However, samples have been sent abroad for testing to determine which variant is in the country.

On Sunday, health officials revealed that as of June 19, 79,246 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine had been administered.

Mr Wells said more than 7,000 doses are set for the Family Islands this week.

“Currently, there have been 79,246 doses of the vaccine administered to Bahamians,” Mr Wells said. “Through the acts of kindness displayed by RING today, there will be some 7,640 more doses of vaccines deployed in approximately 13 of our Family Islands this week.

“Bahamians in Acklins, Crooked Island, Mayaguana, Inagua and Andros will receive additional vaccine doses today, 21st June. On 22nd June, residents of Long Island, Cat Island, San Salvador, Exuma and the Berry Islands will receive COVID-19 vaccine doses. Eleuthera and Rum Cay can expect to receive some vaccines on 23rd June, and Bimini will receive their supply on the 25th June, 2021.”

He told reporters the government is impressed by the amount of Family Islanders coming forward to get the inoculations.

“We are extremely encouraged by the amount of Bahamians who are stepping forward inside the Family of Islands for the jab,” he continued. “We have had an extreme interest and the question has been when were we able to come back to the Family of Islands to give many Bahamians that second dose.

“We found a lot of Bahamians on the Family of Islands who were hesitant, initially, and have now stepped forward seeing that so many individuals globally have been vaccinated. I think it’s around 2.7 billion persons who would have received at least the first jab of a particular vaccine. So I am beginning to lend some sense of confidence to Bahamians that the vaccines are safe.”

While speaking in Parliament yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said there are 2,682 citizens and residents of the Bahamas who opted to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United States.

Also on site for the vaccination deployment was Ed Fields, a member of the national vaccination committee. He spoke about the Family Island vaccine initiative.

“We did about 4,500 first doses last time,” Mr Fields said. “So obviously we are looking at about 4,500 second doses, plus we have gotten strong indications that other folks want to do first doses. So we are preparing for about 7,000 and 8,000 doses between second dose and first dose.”

Asked when another vaccine brand will arrive in the country, he said: “I can only tell you that all of the powers that be are working as hard as they could to get vaccine supply into this country. So it’s just ongoing. We’ll keep you updated. You’ll know when we know. That’s the best I can say right now.”

He could not say specifically how many people have not turned up for second doses of the vaccine, but said the uptake for the final shot has been “fairly high”.

“We know that as we move along, the eligible vaccines stay constant. That means something in like 80 percent level are getting vaccinated and that’s even prior to us adding in the Family Island vaccinations. So second dose uptake is fairly high.”

Mr Fields said vaccine registration is ongoing even though there was a slight glitch when transferring data to a new platform. He said it is a smooth process now.

To register for the vaccine, visit vax.gov.bs.

proudloudandfnm 2 years, 10 months ago

Is he just an idiot or is this just more of the FNM's fantastical messaging? We are nowhere near herd immunity and we won't get anywhere near it until this idiotic anti vaccine nonsense stops. Way too many Bahamians are buying into stupid conspiracy theories, gossip and lies about the obviously effective vaccines available.

ohdrap4 2 years, 10 months ago

Both.

whogothere 2 years, 10 months ago

Hey proud did you take a look at the vaccine effectiveness in the Seychelles.. the most heavily vaccinated country on the planet.. give you a hint: cases are going through the roof..so glad you did your research...

ps. az has a efficacy of 62% - 70% and 10% against other variants...so good luck with that blind faith in vaccines...

proudloudandfnm 2 years, 10 months ago

Yes and guess what. The people who are vaccinated had mild symptoms. 97.5% of all people hospitalized with covid are not vaccinated... The vaccine works...

whogothere 2 years, 10 months ago

Guess again - no one died of COVID in Seychelles until vaccinations began in January of this year...and deaths keep rising...transmission has not eased ...hmmm sorry buddy slurring your facts and vacs again..vaccine is not going provide salvation...but keep trying you catch up..

https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/bi...">https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/bi...

tribanon 2 years, 10 months ago

You would be most surprised to know how many Bahamians have probably already been infected by the Wuhan Virus and developed a natural immunity to it.

Minnis's ridiculous lockdown orders and the resulting very crowded food stores all but assured many Bahamians were infected with mainly the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions suffering the most severe symptoms with under 250 deaths to-date.

The number of deaths attributed to the Wuhan Virus since the pandemic began a year and a half ago equates to a death rate of about 6 per 10,000 residents of The Bahamas. And most of those deaths occurred last summer when Minnis and D'Aguilar very foolishly decided to pre-maturely re-open our borders at a time when all of Florida was ablaze with Wuhan Virus cases.

ThisIsOurs 2 years, 10 months ago

"COVID numbers are around 12,500 persons and if you take in those who are symptomatic and asymptomatic and those who are being vaccinated - I believe as the Prime Minister would have said, by August we’re looking to have achieved herd immunity in The Bahamas. That’s our goal, that’s what we’re seeking to do"

sigh... do he's going to estimate the number of people with antibodies, count them in some grand total and claim herd immunity by August? My people suffer for lack of knowledge". my my my

TalRussell 2 years, 10 months ago

And, Dr. Duane's cabinet colleagues went along with the heart surgeon's firing, than to be replaced by a Gold Star PLP** House-elected MP, yes?

CoolCatBD 2 years, 10 months ago

The Bahamas has been using the same playbook has The Philippines, only we are two chapters behind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJKPv...">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJKPv...

Is this are future?

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by CoolCatBD

carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago

Dames already threatened such actions.

whogothere 2 years, 10 months ago

Earlier this month, Mr Wells estimated that 120,000 people need to be vaccinated in order for the nation to”be in a good place”.

Well it's likely that the true number of cases given the financial and social consequences of testing positive...

Asked yesterday if people who have been infected with COVID-19 previously will be taken into consideration, he said: “Obviously we are going to take those individuals into consideration as well because they are a part of the overall national profile as individuals who would have received vaccinations, who would have developed antibodies against COVID-19 but we also have a very large part of the Bahamian populace who would have been exposed to COVID.

Ah..good so antibody testing program? Antibody passports? how exactly do you intend to consider this sizeable portion of the populace?

As the Minnis administration continues its vaccination push, there are mounting concerns about the Delta variant being in the country, a strain which is highly transmissible and spreading fast around the world.

What you mean to say is - oh s**t the vaccine they bought only has 10% efficacy against variants and they told everyone they could get their freedom back if they take the shot...but now it doesn't matter cases will go up on the next seasonable wave...wait they've thought of that already - let's not test anybody thats been fully vaccinated!! Problem solved - yay!!!!

bahamianson 2 years, 10 months ago

He sure likes his " would have's". They are wrong , by the way, but it sounds intelligent.

ohdrap4 2 years, 10 months ago

So if I would have covid last July, the antibodies would have lasted in perpetuity?

If I would have been fully vaccinated in May, how long would passport have lasted?

Where would the vaccine passport line be?

carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago

Many thousands of Bahamians had covid or a powerful new flu between November 2019 and February 2020. Including myself. Joint pains, fever, chills, could not smell then every thing smelt like a dead animal, lung congestion. Body events kept shifting for about a week. Nassau was totally sold out of Halls cough drops. Check dAlbanas records. Amazing gov did not take a national health assessment as by March 2020 at lockdown the new flu had gone. I normally row 6 miles on my Concept 2 machine but at one point I could only muster about 400ft. Check deaths of the elderly around that time.

carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago

NY attempted the pass but it further strangled the economy. Yesterday NY fully opened for everyone. It has a tourist economy and today it is going through mass influx of people shock and staff shotages. UK is also attempting pass QR regulations but human rights power has chased it away from State mandate. Hundreds of thousands of UK citizens marched with yellow Star Of David on their forheads and wrists calling the QRCode the 666 mark of the beast. It is a human body whereabouts code rather than a Covid safety mechanism. Afterall, according to The United Nations and WHO persons once vaccinated can still be infecting others and become ill.

carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago

Both international health regulatory bodies advised sanitary measures over pass. They say the QRpass should not be used for health purposes as viruses are evasive with new daily strains needing new vaccines. A waste of money and new and emerging technology to control privacy and all aspects of daily life. Go here, enter here, you are near an unvaccinated person's and unsafe. We read online what the code can do to gov nearly created slave cattle ringing a bell around their necks/in their pockets.

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