SOURCE: TRUMPET- Cabinet Spokesperson Melford Nicholas has put all local medical practioners on notice regarding the purchasing and administering of any covid vaccine in the country.
Nicholas, who is also the Information Minister in Antigua and Barbuda, was speaking at the Post Cabinet Press Briefing on Thursday morning when he indicated that a license will be needed by any local medical official.
Nicholas made the revelation after government was made aware that some local practioners were in fact, making provisions to acquire covid vaccines.
“We have learnt that there are a few practioners who are trying to get ahead of the curve with regards to the vaccines. The Cabinet looked at this position and to be on the safe side those medical practioners will require a license from the Ministry of Health and the requisite authorities to be able to import and use those vaccines,” Nicholas said.
He explained that the government is looking at the safety and best interest of the general population.
“We would not want a situation where there is perhaps maybe more consideration commerical aspects to the vaccines and then introduce any other condition that may be unsafe. We want to be able to ensure that the vaccines which will come into use through the government services are private partners who would satisfy the safety requirements for all concerned”, Nicholas concluded.
Regarding the acquisition of a vaccines for Antigua and Barbuda through the PAHO/WHO COVACS arrangement is still “several months away”.
Nicholas indicated that if this process does become longwinded that another alternative will have to be looked at.
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What???!!! Doesn’t the Government have guidelines for who gets the vaccine first eg those over 70, or in care homes etc? Who is controlling who these Drs give the vaccine to? Are they just going to sell the vaccine to the highest bidders? This is an absolute circus!
@arnold…. OF COURSE It’s a commercial decision by the medical providers and will be available to those able to pay the price charged by each medical professional.
Antigua, like hundreds of other countries, waits on Covacs for the general country supply.
Hopefully the rich, bitcoin millionaires, CIP residents, and hoteliers will help all Antiguans. It is in their interest. After all they rely on others to maintain their income and property.
What do mean “of course” ?? what about equity? Every other government in the world is paying for the vaccines to the company and then distributing it according to need, with those most vulnerable legislated to be the first receivers usually. How is it that commercial for profit operators are even able to obtain the vaccine? This is a scandal waiting to happen! There have been issues in other countries with billionaires etc jumping the queue, but this makes my point, it was an issue and an embarrassment for the respective government, precisely because this should not have been happening. Can the Antiguan government explain how they are allowing this to happen?
This doesn’t make a lot of sense. If we have qualified doctors who currently import flu and Pneumonia vaccines and administer it to people then why should they not be allowed to do so with the Covid vaccine.
If doctors are able to source vaccines this doesn’t take anything away from the vaccines the government are procuring, in fact it actually helps the government by obtaining more vaccines for Antigua.
The government should also remember that getting the vaccine is one thing getting it distributed is another and limiting the doctors who can administer it will slow down the speed at which vaccinations take place.
Antigua like the UK has a public and private health care, and people wishing to pay a private practitioner for the vaccine should be encouraged not frowned upon. Every individual that opts to pay for his vaccine from a private practitioner means that is an extra government vaccine available that would otherwise have been used.
For every individual who can afford to pay thousands for the vaccine to a private doctor, that is one less vulnerable and at risk person on Antigua, or elsewhere, who can access to the vaccine. Where it is administered by GPs etc in other countries there are limits and guidelines to how much it can cost (often free) and who it can be administered to. I suspect that will not be the case here.
It also needs to be recognized that the effectiveness of the vaccine will be limited unless it is administered according to scientific guideline, ie to those most infectious, etc. The protective effect of the vaccine to the whole population, whether here or elsewhere, will be limited by local doctors, and their government colluders, with dollar signs in their eyes
My question is a bit “off topic”. What is the Govt protocol for VACINATED visitors and Antiguans to enrter and exit Antigua. It has not been addressed.
COVID-19 is a #Business with a well designed, defined and executed Business Plan.
A…Mission Statement – Show me the money, whoever die gets buried.
B…The etymology of COVID-19.
(a)…COV – Coefficient Of Variance(The Curve – is a mathematical equation used in marketing, statistics and finance). Therefore, the importance of the #NumbersGame as the killer virus gains fame like a Serial Killer.
(b)…ID – Identification(tag used).
…EGO(boasting of best model/variation of its implementation).
(c)…’19 – The year of the #Sequel from the original release, of The Corona Virus!
COVID-19 has morphed from an #EPIDEMIC to a #PANDEMIC to a #PLANDEMIC, as a business.
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