Deyalsingh UNC’s covid19 vaccine propaganda can delay herd immunity

almost 3 years in TT News day

HEALTH Minister Terrence Deyalsingh has said the Opposition has a major role to play in how soon Trinidad and Tobago can achieve herd immunity against the covid19 virus.
He said if Opposition members stop spreading propaganda about the vaccines, it could happen by the end of the year.
He was responding to urgent questions in the Senate on Tuesday morning.
Opposition senator Wade Mark asked, “Given the ongoing spike in the number of positive covid19 cases and this country’s goal of controlling the virus through herd immunity, what is the timeframe within which same will be achieved?”
Deyalsingh reminded everyone herd immunity requires 60-70 per cent of a country’s population to be vaccinated.
“That means about 600,000-700,000 persons. I took a note to Cabinet to do just that.”
But he said there are three variables required to achieve this.
“One – availability of vaccines, which we must have in commercial quantities – large quantities that we are currently working on to good effect.
"Two – public confidence in the vaccines.
"And three – we need to get the UNC to stop undermining the government’s vaccination plan. That is the most important component to reach herd immunity. If the UNC, as led by the honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her spokespersons, keep on undermining faith in the vaccines, we will not achieve it.
"So this is where we all need to come together again and provide leadership. However, if the Opposition works with us, we can administer 700,000 vaccines in this country to achieve herd immunity in about si -seven months.”
Mark muttered, “I won’t respond to that nonsense.”
Recently, Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal said the government is using the public as "guinea pigs" for the Sinopharm vaccine from China.
Mark then asked if the government had contacted companies other than Sinopharm to secure vaccines for TT.
Deyalsingh reminded him the government is “in talks” with Pfizer, Moderna and the Africa Medical Supplies Platform.
To date, TT has received 67,200 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through Covax, 2,000 from Barbados and 40,000 from India.
As of 4 pm on Monday, 60,205 people had been vaccinated in TT.
The post Deyalsingh: UNC’s covid19 vaccine propaganda can delay herd immunity appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.

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