Vaccination number to be double-up to reach the desired target: Dr Gebre

The overall number of citizens in Barbados who are getting their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine regularly would have to double the number of vaccine recipients to climb up to reach the target of having 70% of the population to get completely vaccinated against novel coronavirus by June.

The information was disclosed during a webinar hosted by Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), with the title, Ending the Acute Stage of the Pandemic in 2022: The state of COVID-19 response in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries (ECC). 

Meanwhile, Dr Yitades Gebre, the PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the ECC, said that it was required for the nations in the region to reach the mark of 70 per cent.

He added that controlling the speed of cases of COVID-19 illness, optimising national and international strategies and controlling, diagnosing and curing COVID-19 were fragile.

At the same time, Dr Gebre added that, “Our primary goal is to make sure that by the end of June this year, around 70% of the overall population of all the nations have to be completely vaccinated. By doing this, we can bring the necessary change needed on health, the economy, politics, and human rights.”

Meanwhile, PAHO’s Family and Community Health Advisor for Barbados and the ECC, Dr Darlene Omeir-Taylor, said, “most of the nations in the region would have to set up specific plans to reach the goal of having 70% of their population as completely vaccinated against COVID-19.”

Dr Omeir-Taylor further disclosed that, “around 184 persons are getting their second jab of vaccines in Barbados.”

She further added that this island would have to climb up the scale to make it to 70% by mid-year. It would have to almost double that daily number to 350.