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TRUST the science, trust the vaccine.
This in essence was the advice given by infection prevention and control nurse at Caura Hospital, Keisha Prevatt-Gomez, who created history on Wednesday when she became the first person in TT to receive the AstraZeneca covid19 vaccine.
Immediately after her was Dr Don Martin, medical chief of staff at the Couva Hospital and Multi-Training Facility. Both health professionals said that the nation must trust the science behind the vaccine.
The two were among 100 frontline healthcare workers of the North-Central Regional Health Authority to receive the vaccine at the Couva facility. While they received their jabs at the reception area of the hospital, the rest of the workers received the vaccines in a nearby room.
Each recipient was monitored for 30 minutes after receiving the jab. These vaccines are part of a batch of 2,000 donated by the government of India. They were dropped off in Barbados and were later shipped to TT.
AstraZeneca is a British–Swedish pharmaceutical company whose covid19 vaccine must be given in two doses, with the second being 28 days after the first.
With the media all focused on her, Prevatt-Gomez didn’t seem to notice when the person administering the vaccine actually inserted the needle into her right shoulder. “I didn’t feel it at all!” she said. She told reporters she felt good and encouraged fellow frontline workers who may be sceptical, to take the vaccine.
“There was some hesitation but I did the research and looked at the science behind the vaccine and I am confident it is going to work and that I’m making the right decision for myself and for the wider population.”
While she did not have a preference as it relates to which covid19 vaccine she would be willing to take, she said it had to be one approved by the WHO (World Health Organization).
“We have a responsibility to protect public health…definitely, you guys should go out there and get the vaccine because we are the gatekeepers and this is what we do to protect the nation.”
Martin, an infectious disease physician, said he was proud to be among the first who agreed to take the vaccine. He said his family was particularly excited. He described the 100 healthcare workers receiving the jab as “pioneers,” who took “the most pivotal step,” in combating the virus.
“As we know, covid19 has affected humanity on a whole, it has affected us in a part of our lives we hold dear…All humans love to socialise. We are social beings.
“If we want to get to that point of normalcy where we could interact with each other, whether it be partying, socialising – and we know Trinis have a very social culture which we are desperately missing,” Martin said.
He said taking the vaccine not only protects him but those around him and he wants to lead by example. “I believe the science. I didn’t wanna just talk the talk, I wanted to walk the walk...and I also have done the research with respect to the vaccine and they are quite efficacious and I am quite willing to take it and I can’t wait to get my second dose.”
Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh praised the workers, calling them leaders. “This (pandemic) was a journey that has seen lives ruined, we have seen economies ruined, we have seen industries laid bare, everything to do with travel and tourism (ruined), whether it’s airlines, cruise ships, hotels, conventions, night-life, bars, clubs…We have seen those industries take the heaviest impact of this coronavirus.”
He said TT’s darkest days were when community spread was confirmed in September. “We cannot go on forever managing the virus because we would like life as we knew it in January 2020 to return.
“I miss seeing, hugging and kissing my son. If I see my son once a month, that’s often and he lives here. I haven’t seen my daughter in two years. Many of you would like to visit your family abroad…(But) these physical measures will not take us to that place. What will take us to that place is controlling the virus where we have dominion over the virus.” TT will receive 100,000 to 120,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine by the beginning of March.
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