Deyalsingh: Only one mixed vaccine dosage will be accepted as full vaccination

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Health Minister Terrance Deyalsingh said yesterday that only one combination of mixed vaccines will be accepted as fully vaccinated, by people coming into this country.

He was speaking at the COVID-19 news conference yesterday.

“The only vaccine mixing to be considered to be fully vaccinated in T&T as per our policy is first dose AstraZeneca, followed by a second dose Pfizer and two weeks,” he said.

“No other combination at this time…that could change if other recommendations come out…no other combination at this time will qualify you to be fully vaccinated in T&T to enter without being quarantined,” he said.

Anyone who enters the country with an unrecognised mix must quarantine for two weeks and then Deyalsingh directed that they speak with the private physician.

“And get an opinion as to whether they can take other vaccines available in T&T. That is a private decision,” he said.

Principal Medical Officer Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards confirmed that there was an increase in COVID-19 related hospitalisations in Tobago.

Abdool-Richards attended yesterday’s COVID-19 update but directed all questions for additional information on the Tobago cases to the Tobago House of Assembly and the Tobago Regional Health Authority.

Meanwhile, a medical doctor is among the people named in files before the police for providing fake immunisation cards to buyers.

Guardian Media has learned that a fake immunisation card costs between $500 and $800. The doctor signs off the card as if the vaccine has been administered.

Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh, while speaking yesterday at the COVID-19 update, confirmed that the Ministry was aware of possible fake immunisation cards and took immediate steps to mitigate against them.

Deyalsingh said that he too was aware of the “chatter” about fake immunisations and the Ministry now matched the number of immunisation cards to actual jabs so that when reconciled at the end of the day, it would ensure no cards were missing.

This, Deyalsingh said, has been done in the past two weeks.

“What we did when we got wind of that, we immediately revised the way we distribute vaccinations cards,” he said.

“We administer immunisation cards at all sites, in tandem with the number of vaccines. So if a site is getting 100 vaccines a day, you get 100 cards a day, that is one mitigation strategy,” he said.

“Some files are actually on the way to the police based on whistleblower information, we are taking this so seriously,” he said.

Deyalsingh quoted from the Forgery Act which stipulated that people charged could face seven years in prison.