Narace vaccinatedBy LARA PICKFORD-GORDON and INVERA ARJOON Wednesday, November 25 2009
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PHILBERT SHOT: Gwendolyn Loobie-Snaggs, coordinator of the Health Ministry's Expanded Programme on Immunization gives acting Commissioner of Police Ja...
HEALTH MINISTER Jerry Narace and acting Commissioner of Police James Philbert were among several public officials who yesterday received their Influenza A/H1N1 vaccination.
Opposition UNC MPs yesterday confirmed their vaccinations will take place on December 1 and 4.
Gwendolyn Loobie-Snaggs, coordinator for the Health Ministry’s Expanded Programme on Immunization visited Narace and gave him an injection at the Health Ministry head office on Park Street, Port-of-Spain and then went to Police Administration Building on Sackville Street to vaccinate the country’s top cop. Narace smiled and was relaxed as the needle pierced the skin on his left shoulder. Philbert wore a stern look on his face when he got his shot.
They received their vaccines as part of the first phase for priority groups — health and national security workers and “essential decision makers”. Pregnant women and children are expected to be vaccinated in the second stage of the programme. In a release, the Ministry said another 20,000 vaccines will arrive in TT today and an additional 80,000 next month. The final shipment of 210,000 will arrive in January.
“This will provide coverage for 20 percent of the population of TT, while the average coverage in other countries is ten percent.”
The Ministry said it was following a strategic approach to vaccine distribution recommended by the World Health Organisation/Pan American Health Organisation.
The public is advised to get official information on the vaccination programme for pandemic H1N1 at its hotline 800-WELL ((9355). A list of Frequently Asked Questions on the vaccine was released by the Ministry last Sunday.
UNC Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh said the UNC MPs received calls on Monday from Parliament officials informing them of two dates for vaccination. However, Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal yesterday remained adamant that he would not accept the vaccine until his constituents who are in need, receives it first.
“I would have preferred the entire nation to be vaccinated before me,” Dr Gopeesingh said as he lashed out at government saying they failed the citizenry in not providing the vaccine for the entire population.
This Gopeesingh said, could lead to “discriminatory practices, nepotism and widespread confusion in the administering of the vaccine for the virus.”
Former Minister of Health Dr Hamza Rafeeq echoed similar sentiments as he threw his support behind his colleagues saying, “50,000 people are more at risk than me, children are more at risk than Parliamentarians!” Rafeeq said he was still undecided on whether or not he should accept the vaccine.
Information Minister Neil Parsanlal yesterday could provide no information on which other Government minister had already been vaccinated. Asked if he had received his vaccine, the Information Minister said he was not in a position to answer right now.
Sources at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) said they received the vaccines on Monday afternoon and were in the process of administering it to staff. Policemen and members of the fire services also started receiving their vaccines yesterday.
