Risk On Not Taking The Vaccine Far Outweigh That Of Taking It – PM Ralph Gonsalves
(By Ernesto Cooke) – Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves says we are not going to get back to normalcy unless we have ourselves vaccinated; science tells us so.
Gonsalves said for those who say there is a risk, his only warning is;
“ The risk of not taking it far outweigh taking of the COVID-19 Vaccine”.
Gonsalves says some persons are waiting for this or that vaccine; he said the best vaccine is the one available.
St Vincent and the Grenadines received 40,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses from India under the Vaccine Maitri initiative.
The Prime Minister said the vaccine for COVID-19, from which SVG has recorded nine deaths, did not come into development last year.
“ There was an earlier SARS in 2007, and they started to work on it. COVID comes from the same family of viruses”.
Gonsalves stated that the process accelerated markedly due to COVID-19.
“ So in the spirit of Chatoyer, am not telling that I took, and its a personal decision you can take it if you want; no, am going further than that, I took it and am urging you to take it”.
Gonsalves said vaccines are scarce worldwide; however, it is here in SVG, and some individuals don’t want to take them.
“ They are waiting, waiting for what, in the long run, we are all dead”.
There has been a further hesitancy in SVG in taking the vaccine due to reports of deaths in Europe following inoculation with Astra Zeneca vaccines.
CARPHA, The Caribbean Public Health Agency, in a release, said that the vaccine used in the Caribbean is not the same version or batch as the one in Europe.
Gonsalves said he was told that one of the main reasons people are not taking the vaccine is because SVG has not been in lockdown, so there is no fear.
“ Rational people don’t act because of fear; you act because it is the right and proper thing to do”, Gonsalves said.
The Prime Minister was at the time delivering the feature address at the National Heroes Day Celebration.
