58 senior citizens receive COVID-19 vaccine at Vreed-en-Hoop site

– encouraged others to get inoculated

Approximately 58 senior citizens in Region Three were inoculated on Wednesday at the Vreed-en-Hoop COVID-19 vaccination site located in the compound of the West Demerara Hospital.

Many of them arrived early for the opportunity to be immunised against the deadly disease.

In an invited comment to DPI, 62-year-old, Mr. Mahendra Chand of Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, said he took the vaccine because of the protection it offered against the disease.

“I don’t want to be hospitalised and things like that, and I encourage other people to come as well,” he said.

Mr. Chand said although some members of his family remain sceptical about the vaccine, he has encouraged them not to let this opportunity pass them by. 

“I heard it on the news this morning, on the radio, so I’m taking the opportunity,” he added.

Another resident, Mr. Patrick Fraser, said he was taking the vaccine to safeguard his health.      

“First and foremost, my health comes first. Now, it is better for you to be vaccinated and whatever is the side effects of the vaccine, you deal with that but if you are not vaccinated, then the possibility is that COVID can be the reality, and COVID is a very serious and a very dangerous thing,” he said.

Mr. Fraser is urging his fellow countrymen and women to protect themselves and families at all costs.

“Each and every person should at least try as much as possible to protect themselves, protect their family, protect their friends, protect everyone they come into contact with and if we are vaccinated and free from the disease then we will be safe for our community,” he noted.

Mr. Kaishudat Deowkslia of Vreed-en-Hoop said a friend encouraged him to take the vaccine, and therefore, he is encouraging others to protect themselves as well.

The vaccine site started operations at 8 am and suspended a bit late for lunch, due to overwhelming response from the public. When operations resumed for the afternoon session, a steady influx of persons continued and by 2 pm, staff had vaccinated their 58th elderly person. 

COVID-19 vaccines were also administered today to persons 60 years and older at the Mabaruma District Hospital, Port Kaituma Hospital, Charity Hospital, Suddie Regional Hospital, the New Amsterdam Health Centre, the Skeldon Regional Hospital, the Enmore Polyclinic, Bartica Health Centre, Mahdia District Hospital, Kwakwani Hospital, Lethem Health Centre and the Annai Health Centre. This service would be offered from Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm.

The Government has to date received several donations of vaccines from the People and Governments of Barbados (3,000), China (20,000) and India (80,000). It is still awaiting its consignment of 104,000 doses through the COVAX mechanism and another 149,000 doses through a purchase agreement under the CARICOM-African Union pact.