Purchase of new J&J vaccines is unlikely

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said it is very unlikely the government will purchase additional doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, noting challenges with uptake by the public.

The country struggled to convince many Bahamians to receive the one-dose vaccine and faced the risk of the shots expiring due to a surplus supply that was available.

However, the minister confirmed yesterday there had been progress in using the available J&J supply, adding some of the doses had been sent to a neighbouring Caribbean island.

  He said he was unsure of how many were sent and where, but the initiative was headed by the Chief Medical Officer’s office.

 “Yes, we’re making progress,” he said when asked about the expiring doses. “Some of the Johnson & Johnson was sent to another country. We do see some uptick of the Johnson & Johnson locally and we encourage every Bahamian out there to come forward.

 “We are using social mobilisation to be able to capture that group of individuals who are still undecided but still willing and so we encourage everyone to go out and be vaccinated and take into consideration the Johnson & Johnson jab as well.”

 The minister also responded to critics who have said the country’s supply should not have been used for booster shots, but instead to increase vaccine coverage.

 Last week Dr Jarbas Barbosa, assistant director of the Pan American Health Organisation, expressed this view.

 “We (are) using the science,” Dr Darville said. “When it comes to social mobilisation it is a technique that has been used in virology and vaccination drives around the world.

 “This is scientific and we intend to use every measure to get vaccines in arms.

  “What is important for us is to really increase the amount of people vaccinated in our country so that we can keep people out of hospital and reduce the incidences of death as a result of COVID-19.”

  Dr Darville also told reporters the government was expected to ramp up its vaccination campaign.

 “The booster campaign is going extremely well. We still have a lot more work to do.

 “In the next few days, you will see us ramping up and trying our best to really get public education on board so that Bahamians could realise that we have a new variant that is highly transmissible that is coming our way and it is important to get vaccinated.

 “Vaccinations save lives and vaccination in the event that you do get COVID-19 reduces your chance of being hospitalised.”

 He was further asked about a CDC study that mentioned a preference for the Pfizer and Moderna brands over the J&J shot.

 “For us here in The Bahamas when we purchased the Johnson & Johnson (doses) in the country, we realised that the uptake was not as aggressive as we thought it would be when Pfizer came on stream.

 “And so, for us who have a surplus of Johnson & Johnson now in our arsenal and having great difficulty to convince Bahamians to take Johnson & Johnson, it’s very unlikely that we will go ahead and purchase additional Johnson & Johnson at this time.

 “But I want the Bahamian people to know that Johnson & Johnson is an effective vaccine and there is also a programme in place for booster shots with Johnson & Johnson.”

 Health officials said 26 new cases of the virus were recorded on Monday. This brought the confirmed case toll since the start of the pandemic to 23,161.

Comments

carltonr61 says...

It's an enigma knot. The Omicron bypasses all vaccines except Sputnik V yet in the same breath WHO will not certify it yet calls on the world to reboost. There should have been a vaccine climb down after the scientific revelation narrative that they do not prevent transmission but also spread Covid. That is why there were more deaths in 2021 after vaccination than 2020 before vaccination. CDC because Omicron has presented as a weak flu not requiring hospitalizations and has infected both fully vaccinated, recovered and nonvaccinated mildly. The global political will is straining to go forward in the face of phantom hysterical science rhetoric and stamped global narrative. There has been no vaccine gain that omicron has become the dominant strain plus bypassed vaccines then fades away. The vaccines were created for Covid alpha but after the rollout deaths became blamed on delta. The same actors are back including Modi from India.

Posted 22 December 2021, 9:43 a.m. Suggest removal

John says...

The WHO and CDC took to the news media over the past few weeks and advised people to discontinue taking the Johnson and Johnson vaccines. This was based on recent studies that shows blood clots related to the J & J vaccines were increasing, especially among young women. Prior to this, information was being put out that the J & J was not as effective as the other vaccines and also wears off faster. Patients were advised to take the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines as a second dose if they had already taken the first shot, And patients were also advised that if they had taken the J&J more than 10 days ago, they were at minimum risk for developing blood clots but should take another brand of vaccine as a second dose. These blood clots have the potential or reaching the brain and causing death.

Posted 22 December 2021, 10:57 a.m. Suggest removal

John says...

Information is that antibodies in the Omicron variant identifies the vaccines in a patient’s body as foreign or infections, simply put, the virus then ‘binds’ the vaccines, making them ineffective. Omicron then establishes its own immunity in the patient that also overrides the patient’s own immunity, making them resistant to other strains of the Covid-19 virus. Thus far, the curve for Omicron has been very peaked. Meaning the virus is highly infectious but rapidly moving. Originally medical experts wanted to flatten the curve to sto medical facilities from being overwhelmed. But since omicron requires less and shorter hospitalizations, this is a nonissue.

Posted 22 December 2021, 11:39 a.m. Suggest removal

Bobsyeruncle says...

Antibodies are not in the virus. Antibodies are what your body's immune system produces to fight off any Antigen (in this case a virus) that 'invades' your body.

Also, vaccines (all types, not just Covid vaccine), are cleared (metabolized) by your body usually within a couple of days, or a few weeks at the most. Once the vaccine is cleared from your body, your immune system (T-Cells & B-Cells) is left with a 'memory' of how to fight off this particular Antigen, should it ever encounter it again.

Posted 22 December 2021, 8:37 p.m. Suggest removal

stillwaters says...

Time will tell

Posted 22 December 2021, 12:02 p.m. Suggest removal

sheeprunner12 says...

Omicron will provide natural immunity soon. No more jabs needed. Thank God

Posted 22 December 2021, 12:11 p.m. Suggest removal

Bobsyeruncle says...

Just like the vaccine, natural immunity doesn't last forever. You know that, right?

Posted 22 December 2021, 7:49 p.m. Suggest removal

carltonr61 says...

O yea? Ask Minnis. More Vax restrictions and lockdowns.

Posted 22 December 2021, 12:32 p.m. Suggest removal

TalRussell says...

**What is more likely** is that acid trips **Doja Cat's** and travelin' entourage are on they way to Atlantis island's resorts properties.
**De downplaying** by Minister Dr Michael Darville over virus outbreaks aboard cruise ships, says **he’s not expressing concern s** over increased heath and wellness dangers that cruise ships are already brungin' into and onto UK Colony's sea waters and islands and everything else like this and that including  Atlantis Paradise Island's Comrade Sister Oswell's excitement that paying rooms guests, and **Doja Cat** concert fans, **will boost up de resorts profits** over de Holiday Seasons, ― Yes?

Posted 22 December 2021, 12:35 p.m. Suggest removal

JokeyJack says...

Glad to see govt not wasting money on garbage, for once.

Posted 22 December 2021, 1:46 p.m. Suggest removal

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