PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC -Well being authorities are urging folks to vaccinate towards the coronavirus (COVID-19) and influenza as Trinidad and Tobago recorded 5 COVID-19-related deaths since December 28 final yr.
Well being Minister Terrence Deyalsingh additionally confirmed that the authorities needed to dump an estimated 800,000 COVID-19 vaccines in 2023.
Talking on the launch of the Well being Ministry’s influenza vaccination drive on the Divali Nagar in Endeavour, in Central Trinidad, on Monday, they stated the vaccines needed to be dumped as a result of they’d expired.
“Folks had been simply not coming ahead for COVID vaccines. Many individuals received vaccine fatigue. Many individuals believed the misinformation and disinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, sadly.
“They believed all of the outright lies about COVID vaccine. And that’s unlucky. To have dumped 795,000 doses of vaccines represents a horrible waste. And once more, it is a international phenomenon the place the lots of of thousands and thousands are dumping COVID-19 vaccines,” Deyalsingh stated.
He stated that Trinidad and Tobago had recorded 5 COVID deaths within the final three months after almost two months of no COVID-19-related instances or deaths.
The Well being Minister stated regardless of the challenges, the federal government is continuous its efforts to accumulate extra COVID-19 vaccines.
Deyalsingh stated 9 individuals are hospitalized with COVID, together with one individual in intensive care Unit (ICU), because the emergence of the JN1 pressure of the virus has led to an increase in hospitalizations in the US.
Deyalsingh stated the JN1 pressure had not but been detected right here as of Sunday night time, so he appealed to the aged inhabitants and folks most weak to the virus to take the mandatory precautions.
“These 5 deaths are within the typical inhabitants, that’s, the aged with comorbidities, hypertension, diabetes, and so forth. So we need to ship out a particular attraction to households with aged with comorbidities to take the same old precautions, mask-wearing, sanitizing, distancing.”
Deyalsingh additionally encourages the general public to vaccinate towards the influenza virus in order that the flu vaccines don’t meet the identical destiny.
The Ministry of Well being stated it obtained 75,000 doses of the (2023/2024) influenza vaccine on October 2, 2023, and distributed 22,566 doses.
The nation has already recorded one flu-related loss of life. The influenza season runs till Might this yr.
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