Caricom concerned over vaccine hesitancy

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Caribbean vaccination numbers are “unacceptably low” and Caricom head, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne is concerned that the region will not reach herd immunity any time soon.

During a brief Caricom sitting yesterday to install Dr Carla Barnett as the new Secretary-General, Browne used the platform to discuss Caribbean vaccine hesitancy and the lack of access to vaccines.

“In the region, we have to tackle the twin contradictory issues of access to vaccines as well as vaccine hesitancy among our nations,” he said.

“We have to continue to stand together to fight the issue of vaccine hesitancy which is perhaps the most significant threat to the region at this time,” Browne said.

“We are still in the middle of the global Covid pandemic, with countries all over the world experiencing their third, fourth and fifth waves of infections,” he said.

“In many of our member states, the percentage of our population that has been fully vaccinated is still unacceptably low and there is a great risk that we would not reach her immunity in very many many months,” Browne said.

“We need to correct this,” he said.

Browne said that in order to take advantage of the global spike in travel, the Caribbean needed to be better vaccinated.

Browne also said that Haiti was a “top priority”.

“Haiti is now suffering under the most recent humanitarian crisis brought on by Saturday’s earthquake. the earthquake and the attendant loss of life are painful reminders of the political, economic and social tragedies that have beset Haiti,” he said.

Browne said that the time had come to change the trajectory of Haiti and called for the establishment of measures in collaboration with Haiti’s political directorate to “allow Haiti to make a fundamental change in that direction,” he said.

He said that while that was a longer-term goal, the Caricom nations will come together to help Haiti immediately.

Browne said he spoke with Haitian prime minister, Ariel Henry, and pledged support.

In welcoming Barnett to her new role, Browne said he knew she would “hit the ground running”.

“As the first female Caricom Secretary-General, I know that you will succeed in demonstrating to the world that talent resides in both sexes equally and that the leadership of our regional institutions is open to open to those talented sons and daughters who bring the requisite skills to the table,” Browne said.

Barnett too singled out the Haitian earthquake which devastated the island and said that it was now feeling the effects of a passing storm which was making it harder to start recovery