WHO official urges Caribbean islanders to ‘wake up’ and get vaccinated

A senior World Health Organization official on Wednesday pleaded with residents of the Caribbean for vaccinations, saying the islands have limited intensive care beds.

Dr Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization, the regional arm of WHO in Latin America, said the abundance of misinformation about vaccines in the island region makes people hesitant to get vaccinated.

“I want to make a special appeal to my fellow Caribbean people please, we have to be extremely careful,” Etienne said. “We have limited bed capacity and limited intensive care capacity on our small islands… our health systems will become overwhelmed very quickly. “

Health systems there could quickly be overwhelmed if more people do not get vaccinated, she said, noting that disinformation has spread across the islands.

She said the decision not to get the vaccine was “unwise,” especially when the hospital’s capacity is so limited.

“We are playing with our lives. So my call is, get up, wake up from this sleep, wake up from this dream, because we know that vaccines are safe,” Etienne said.

“I don’t know the sources of information that trigger this level of vaccine hesitation. I can tell you that they are not scientifically proven, and I want to ask you to listen to the sources where you have truthful, scientific information. based on information and evidence, ”said Etienne.

There have been a few rare side effects from the vaccines which usually occur within a few weeks of getting vaccinated. Etienne said side effects are closely monitored by scientists “nationally, regionally and globally,” and action is taken immediately if there is a problem. Every drug you take has side effects, “and you don’t question them there,” Etienne said.

“So please, please, please take your vaccines and please wear your mask properly and social distancing,” Etienne said. “I know we Caribbean people love to be close and we love to come together,” she said.

Etienne said that despite the cultural tendency to come together, people should maintain social distancing, wash their hands and observe “respiratory etiquette”.