Barbados health minister urges people of the Americas to get vaccinated

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Apr 24, CMC -Barbados Health  and Wellness Minister, Dr Jerome Walcott has  launched the 21st Vaccination Week in the Americas, saying that the annual event should remind the everyone of the importance of vaccines as a way to protect each other.

“As we emerge from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are taking stock of the state of our essential health services and vaccination programmes. Because of the decline of our vaccination coverage rates over the last 10 years, the risk of outbreaks from vaccine-preventable diseases is high. This is cause for serious alarm,” Walcott said in a recorded video message released by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).

He said in the Caribbean region, more than 11,000 children younger than one year old or almost one in 10, did not receive all their vaccine doses in 2021, leaving them susceptible to diseases such as polio, tetanus, measles and diphtheria “diseases we had already eliminated from our shores.

“But there are laudable achievements which must be recognised. In the non-Latin Caribbean, more than three million people have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 over the last two years,” Walcott said, adding that in Barbados, for example, more than 55 per cent of the population has received at least two doses of vaccine.

“When we come together, even during difficult times, we can achieve great things,” he said, adding that the administration here is committed to investments in all components of the national immunisation programme.

“By so doing we will ensure that persons of all ages have access to this essential service. Persons at high risk of severe disease – such as older adults or pregnant women – will remain among our highest priority groups for vaccination. We will continue to provide vaccines to all vulnerable persons residing in Barbados. ”

He said in addition, Barbados is doing much to address vaccine hesitancy, especially among r health workers.

He said together with other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, they are collaborating with the Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), PAHO, regional nursing, medical and allied health professional bodies and institutions to develop and implement training and educational campaigns for all our health workers.

“As they dedicated their lives to providing indefatigable support during the worse days of the pandemic, we will continue to collaborate with them to address their questions and design vaccination services that fit their needs.

“Let us remind ourselves that our national immunisation programmes are our first line of defence against outbreaks. The road to recovery is long, but each one of us must play our part to protect ourselves and our loved ones. And the way to do this is by getting all our shots during Vaccination Week in the Americas,” Walcott told the various populations in the Americas.

PAHO said that the 21st annual Vaccination Week and the 12th  World Immunisation Week (WIW) are being held under the theme “Get up to date #EachVaccineCounts”.

It said that this year’s campaign vaccination week campaign aims to emphasise the protection that vaccines provide to individuals and their loved ones, and to stress their importance for a long and healthy life.

“The goal is to create awareness about the vaccines that people of all ages need to receive, and in doing so increase vaccine acceptance and uptake, which has been declining among children worldwide and more heavily in the Americas over the last decade.”

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