The vaccination level in T&T of 46 per cent of the population is decent but still not good–and there is a high degree of vaccine hesitancy among parents of children.
Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh made those points in the Senate on Monday replying to queries by Independent Senator Maria Dillon-Remy.
Her queries included on measures to encourage vaccination, handling of the COVID-19 situation including regarding children and the new Omicron variant.
On vaccinations, Deyalsingh noted the global pandemic community is only 40 per cent vaccinated, with some countries as low as 10 per cent and two per cent vaccinated.
He said T&T’s vaccination level of 46 per cent of the population is decent but still not good.
Deyalsingh noted that in T&T’s 12 to 18 age group of 90,000, only 54, 000 got their first shot and only 48,0000 got their second.
On the high degree of vaccine hesitancy among parents of children, he added, “We keep talking to them as a whole-of-society and whole-of -government approach to encourage them to get their children vaccinated,”
On whether Government is considering other approaches given that people still get infected even with vaccines, Deyalsingh said the other measures applicable globally are the 3Ws (wear mask, wash hands, watch distance).
He said, “Right now we can’t vaccinate the five to 11- year- olds so the principle of herd immunity is, as much of the herd that is vaccinatable– which is 1.1 million. One million is 18 years and over and 100,000 are below age 18.They have to get vaccinated to protect those unvaccinatable at this time– babies and children age zero to 11 years.”
He added: “So we have to keep on with the message– we are all in this together. It’s a cliché but it’s true. We have to fight things like vaccine inequity around the world because no one is safe until all of us are safe around the world and in the Caribbean“
He said the Government continues talking to parents to do the three Ws and vaccinate.
“We had a sad case recently (in the public domain) where the parents of one child waited three days and kept the child at home....that death possibly could have been avoided,” he said
Deyalsingh said Government responded pro actively last Saturday imposing travel restrictions on travellers from seven countries which will help slow entry of the Omicron variant to T&T.
There is increased port health surveillance from all countries reporting that variant. Plus there’s enhanced genome sequencing capacity at UWI and Caribbean Public Health Laboratory which will help surveillance.
On measures for children, Deyalsingh cited continuous public education, increased paediatric capacity, ICU units for children with COVID and the Arima unit with eight paediatric ICUs.
“Pending procurement of anti-viral and antibody medications from suppliers which will come in, will be a game changer for the way we treat with COVID,” he added.
There will be a booster shot programme in the next week or two for 12 to 18 year olds who already got their first shot of Pfizer vaccines .Talks are on with vaccine manufacturers to procure vaccines for the five to 11 age group.
