OVER-65s CLEAR FOR UK VACCINE: Officials respond to WHO sign-off and okay elderly’s usage

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Office of the Prime Minister announced yesterday that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will be given to all people over the age of 18 after the World Health Organisation endorsed its use for people over 65.

“The National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee will continue to follow the guidelines set out by the WHO,” an OPM statement said. “The AstraZeneca vaccine will be administered to eligible Bahamians and residents over the age of 18 who choose to take it.”

During a press conference last week, Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis, chairman of the consultative committee, said officials were waiting on scientific studies about the effectiveness of the vaccine in the over-65 population before recommending its use for people in that age group.

“As we indicated last week at the press conference, we will continue to be guided by the science,” she said in yesterday’s statement.

One hundred thousand doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive in the country sometime between this and the end of the second quarter of the year.

Health officials have formed three “priority groups”, a characterisation that will determine who gets the vaccine and when.

Group one includes healthcare workers, uniform branch workers and elder care providers.

Group two includes people with disabilities, people living in congregate settings, critical workers in high-risk settings, other essential service workers, people with co-morbidities and underlying chronic conditions and sea, air and ground persons.

Group three will include all other people.

Dr Dahl-Regis said last week that officials anticipate that the vaccination process for the first batch of vaccines will be completed over six weeks.

She noted that some people should not get the vaccine.

“Extra precautions must be taken to determine if there are significant allergies or if the immune system is compromised to the point that significantly reduces the effect of the vaccine. This is the reason why we must protect those who cannot receive the vaccine. “Getting the vaccine protects not only you but those around you,” she said.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which was co-invented by the University of Oxford, will be provided through the World Health Organisation’s COVAX facility.

Although the government did not have a choice in which vaccine it would get from the WHO, Dr Dahl-Regis said among the three most prominent vaccines worldwide – Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna – the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is the one that officials preferred.

Comments

bahamianson says...

ok, 62% effective after the second dose. Pfizer and Moderna are 90% effective after doses. The FDA will not look at the Oxford vaccine until April to put their backing behind it. We are looking at a Vaccine Passport. If the FDA does not approve the Oxford vaccine, then our Vaccine Passport will be no good. We will still have to pay for the PCR or Antigen test in order to travel to the USA. Someone please add logic to taking the Oxford vaccine.

Posted 11 February 2021, 7:48 a.m. Suggest removal

newcitizen says...

You seem to be under the impression that we can pick and choose from any vaccines we want. Beggars can't be choosers.

Posted 11 February 2021, 10:52 a.m. Suggest removal

Kalikgold says...

Pfizer and Moderna are unstable, basically it comes down to how the vaccine is made. With that aside, take into consideration the special freezers and emergency generators required to store Pfizer or Morderna. I wouldn't put too much thought into this vaccine passport.

Posted 11 February 2021, 2:24 p.m. Suggest removal

bahamianson says...

" we will continue to be guided by science'', really? You must be careful with that. In February of last year . the W.H.O said that the corona virus was insignificant . Gastroenterologist used to tell people to drink milk to coat their stomachs. Now, they know that lactic acid is not good good for ulcers. How can science say in one month that people over 65 can take the vaccine? if anything, why can't we wait?

Posted 11 February 2021, 8:12 a.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

Definitely not for me, but I'm all for Minnis getting a double dose of the WHO (Red China) recommended vaccine asap. LMAO

Posted 11 February 2021, 8:23 a.m. Suggest removal

GodSpeed says...

lol I don't care what the WHO says, you're not sticking my folks with that. The WHO are incompetent fools that are accountable to nobody.

Posted 11 February 2021, 2:06 p.m. Suggest removal

proudloudandfnm says...

Says who? trump? The dumbest president in history? Lol.

Posted 11 February 2021, 7:55 p.m. Suggest removal

DDK says...

I don't think so........😜😜😜.

Posted 11 February 2021, 4:38 p.m. Suggest removal

TigerB says...

Its optional

Posted 11 February 2021, 6:57 p.m. Suggest removal

tribanon says...

Stop your option BS. The Red Chinese are pressuring Minnis to order that all Bahamians be vaccinated if they ever want to travel again to other islands in the Bahamas or outside of the Bahamas.

Posted 11 February 2021, 8:37 p.m. Suggest removal

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