Island-wide vaccine plan begins

| 07/01/2021 | 123 Comments
  • Cayman News Service
  • Cayman News Service
  • Cayman News Service
  • Cayman News Service
  • Cayman News Service

(CNS): The over 70s, healthcare workers, front-line staff dealing with travellers and those with significant pre-existing conditions are being invited to attend the HSA Flu Clinic on Friday and district health facilities across all three islands from Monday, as the official vaccination plan gets underway. Several healthcare workers have already been vaccinated, along with government leaders, who are hoping for a significant take-up.

At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Premier Alden McLaughlin said he had nothing more than a sore arm after his shot and urged everyone to play their part and get the vaccine to allow “Cayman to resume an even greater sense of normalcy” by the end of March.

McLaughlin said that since the Cayman Islands emerged from lockdown, it has been in “a holding pattern” waiting for a vaccine, and now that one is here, the community had to come together to do the right thing. He pointed out that the lockdown only succeeded because of public support and now it was needed again. Cayman needed people to get vaccinated to win again.

Afraid that “the doubters are again raising their heads and creating unnecessary fear and concern”, he urged people not to let them win because the vaccine is safe.

“As a country we have come through the worst of this crisis but we now need to provide everyone the best chance possible to maintain the gains that we have made. To do so requires us to take the vaccine and protect ourselves, protect our families and protect our community,” he said.

“It was our collective action and our sense of duty and responsibility that brought us to the position we are in today. And it will take a similar resolve and unity of purpose in taking the vaccine to deliver us the rest of the way,” he added.

Health Minister Dwayne Seymour echoed his sentiments, noting that over 16 million people around the world have now received the vaccine. Describing it as a life-saving campaign, he asked everyone to come forward as soon as their category opened in the phased rollout.

Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee explained the roll out of the vaccine programme, which is staged in accordance with the levels of risk and potential exposure certain groups have. But he, too, urged everyone to take the shot as soon as they can. He explained that allergic reactions to the Pfizer vaccine have been very limited and that most people can take it. People with serious allergies to the components of the vaccine should check with their physicians.

Dr Lee admitted that the evidence is still lacking on whether or not a person who has been vaccinated can act as a conduit and still transmit the virus while not getting sick themselves. But he stressed the protection that the vaccine can offer to those who have been immunized, especially after the second dose.

Cayman is set to receive more doses of both the Pfizer and the Oxford-AstraZeneca shots but the uptake over the next week will determine how quickly we can get them. The government has an ambitious target of vaccinating at least 70% of all residents over the next few months.

The premier noted that a Public Health nurse from Cayman Brac is currently on Grand Cayman to learn about the vaccine and will return to the Brac with the vaccines on Saturday, 9 January. Medical Officer of Health Dr Samuel Williams-Rodriguez said that she will “begin administering the vaccine then. On Wednesday, 13 January, it will be given to Little Cayman.”

According to the HSA, the schedule for the Sister Islands will be circulated tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Dr Lee revealed that another three arriving travellers had tested positive for COVID-19 over the last day among a batch of 199 results but all three were asymptomatic. There are still eleven people suffering symptoms among 47 active cases.

A total of 1,101 travellers are in home isolation or quarantine. The CMO said that from now on, when the daily test results are released the Public Health Department will also reveal the number of vaccine doses that have been administered.


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  1. Anonymous says:

    I would like to give CNS a little credit today.
    Yes, they print the rabid, bullshit, chicken little, government crap , but they also print differing opinions.
    If they were a news outlet in the UK, they would have been shut down by now.
    I have immense disagreements with them on several issues, but they are nobody’s fool.
    Any donation to CNS will assist free speech.

  2. Rick says:

    It would be so much better if we did not treat people who are skeptical about the vaccine as ignorant. The government leaders are behaving as if they know better than these people, but the science and data from practice tell us that vaccines are not safe. Although some vaccines have been successful, some vaccines have been disastrous. The problem with the news and media today is that it is almost impossible to get facts because people are either for or against, without examining all the facts. Facts: COVID19 vaccinated individuals (all of them) do not stop transmission of the virus. Pfizer, for example, hid the results from the control group by giving them the real vaccines immediately after the study, so we do not know the actual outcomes. In any case, the vaccines were not tested on animals and subjected to observation over time. Another fact; all of the vaccine companies have been convicted in court and settled many cases out of court, for lying about drug results which they knew to be lies at the time, and which resulted in the deaths of many people. What do you call people who do that? Now, can someone please show evidence that contradict these arguments without name calling and quoting politicians and media personalities?

  3. Anonymous says:

    CNS Why do the LIKE DISLIKE move to a less number when select?

    CNS: After you like or dislike a comment you can reverse that. So if you have already liked a comment, the next time you click it, the number will go down one. However, if someone at your IP address has voted, it will think you are the same person with same result.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Dr.Gregory Michael death is in the news. Pfizer and CDC investigate first death with a suspected link to shot. He died from a stroke Sunday morning after suddenly developing a rare autoimmune illness that causes the body to destroy its own platelets, the tiny fragments that help blood to clot.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Visitors received the vaccine today. Prove me wrong.

    • Anonymous says:

      Fake news. It’s based on now discredited advice posted in Russia about a month ago when their Sputnik 5 vaccine was being released. Drinkaware is a UK anti-alcohol group that would bring back prohibition if they could and has just latched onto it.

      There are no vaccine advisories relating to alcohol in place in the UK and it is also considered safe for people using a wide variety of prescription medication including treatments for arthritis that suppress the immune system to counter inflammation.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Small point of procedure, but how sure are we that these are indeed Comirnaty/Tozinameran “BNT162b2” Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines if HSA isn’t specifically selling it as such? Pfizer-BioNTech probably manufactures dozens of different trial COVID-19 vaccine editions, depending on who’s asking for them. I note also that the HSA Consent Form makes no specific reference to the drug name except to list COVID 19 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and “2020-2021 Formula”. There must be palettes of untrialed vaccines looking for an arm somewhere nobody asks these pedantic questions, and they might even be free. Having little trust in our slippery Cabinet suite, and having already gone through the mosquito experimentation, it would be helpful it the HSA removed all of these lingering doubts, at least for those that care about important details.

    • Anonymous says:

      Agreed. And the consent form should include if not teference the Pfizer vaccine facts so that people have an opportinity to read up ALL the liabilities, requirements and warnings.

    • Anonymous says:

      The same goes for donated air filters that allegedly kill COVID. Nobody questioned unsubstantiated claims. It is free after all.

  7. Anonymous says:

    “Dr Lee admitted that the evidence is still lacking on whether or not a person who has been vaccinated can act as a conduit and still transmit the virus while not getting sick themselves.”

    Also evidence still lacking on whether getting the vaccine will make you more beautiful, telepathic, or age in reverse. Does Dr. Lee know how vaccines and the immune system work?

    CNS: I’m sure he does. Vaccines stop COVID-19 symptoms, but do they stop transmission?
    Short version: they are still researching this.

    • Anonymous says:

      CNS, what does “still researching” mean? The world human trial under way approved for Emergency Use?? or is someone somewhere doing more trials specific to viral transmission??? Please share if youve found a source on how this is going to be tested.

      CNS: Click on the link I gave you.

  8. Anonymous says:

    WHY are they not vaccinating on saturday and sunday??? Most of us can’t get time off to stand in line for hours.

    If as 6.49am pointed out, the box was opened on thursday, it has to be used up by monday.
    So how many people have been vaccinated so far, where are we in terms of doses brought in and used?

    • Anonymous says:

      The way I understand Pfizer instructions, they have to vaccinate 1,000 by Monday in one location and keep the rest of the purchased vaccines in a deep freezer.

      • Anonymous says:

        I box = 1000 vials that are made up into 5000 doses. Once open, the doses have to be used up by Monday night or destroyed. Hence the question.
        God forbid we waste doses.

    • Angus says:

      I am so fortunate to live in the Cayman Islands. Thank you UK for the vaccines and CIG for world class performance.

      • Third World Classy says:

        And if you haven’t witnessed how things run in a first world country, you would definitely call our third world Banana Republic CIG for what it is.

        • Anonymous says:

          To be fair, for all CIG’s faults, their Covid response genuinely has been world class. Amazingly so.

    • Anonymous says:

      Oh stop your complaining everyone, you don’t know how lucky you are to be living in Cayman with the added good fortune of having FREE vaccine to save your life.
      A simple ‘thank you’ would do.

    • 19 members says:

      Why haven’t all of the elected members received the vaccine?

  9. Anonymous says:

    It needs to be said: The snake is symbolic of original sin and temptation in the Christian spiritual tradition. Eve was tempted into taking the apple by the snake, and so here we are: cast out into the dark wilderness and living with that original sin.

  10. Anonymous says:

    He is already a clown, so it wasn’t necessary.
    There is no vaccine thhst can cure Bush, so don’t even try.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Go on then. Baa baa.

  12. Anonymous says:

    I had the Pfizer vaccine yesterday. Now, I am pfeeling pfine and pfantastic. No pfever so pfar.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Can the media provide us with a dashboard of how many have been vaccinated, and how many vials have been used/unused.
    We may need to make this more widely available to ensure that not one dose is wasted.

  14. Anonymous says:

    Did they have to draw a little clown on Alden’s arm so he wouldn’t cry when he got a needle? Did Mac have to be restrained like Hannibal Lector before the mean woman maybe/possibly hurt him?

  15. Anonymous says:

    I’d love to read the list of what is considered: Stage 1, Group C: “Workers essential to Government continuity”. It seems to be very subjectively defined. Then in Stage 2, what does “relevant medical status” mean? “Those living at home with persons from stage one of the programme” are all the relatives of the Stage 1, Group C. They all jump the line ahead of essential workers, teachers, school staff, and everyone else without a special title, or angle, over 60. I also note the COVID-19 consent form has a parental consent section, even though the vaccine is not authorized for anyone under the age of consent.

  16. Anonymous says:

    What exactly does “with relevant medical status” mean within the group stages?

  17. Anonymous says:

    I see this morning that the UK is now going to require a negative pre-flight Covid test for people flying into the UK. Very glad to hear that Cayman is now going to have the same requirement starting next week.

  18. Anonymous says:

    Sweet tats, Big Al.

  19. Anonymous says:

    There’s no chance I’m having it.

    It’s that safe you can’t sue the government or manufactures if something goes wrong. That sounds really safe indeed

    • Anonymous says:

      Over 6 million people have had the vaccine (mainly in Israel, UK and US) and no issues. It’s safe.

    • Donny says:

      Just so that you were aware, all vaccines have that liability waiver statement attached. It’s not new in any way., although you have recourse if there is injury through a fund set up just for that. Nevertheless, you don’t need to advise us that you don’t want the vaccine, no one is forcing you, so just stay away from the vaccine sites, you don’t need the announcement, we don’t really care.

  20. Anonymous says:

    I am grateful that CIG will require preflight testing for all people flying to Cayman starting on 14 January. That plus the vaccine will go a long way to protecting our people. I will take the vaccine as soon as it is offered to me.

  21. Anonymous says:

    I wonder what affiliation that tattoo affords him?
    Never trust anyone who has marked their body. There is a powerful connotation in taking a tattoo.
    Imagine if you created a beautiful painting and a rival artist put his signature on it?
    God brings us all into this world without these marks. As we progress through our lives, we take full control, reject God, and allow these things in the name of personal vanity.
    Mr. McLaughlin is perfectly entitled to tattoo his “life-container”, it is a privilege that comes with freedom of will and choice.
    That said, there will be a day of full accountability.

  22. ELVIS says:

    All the negative comments still asking why this. how that. what if this?

    please be grateful. you have a choice to take it make your mind up and stop being negative some of you. we are in a very good place right now. HSA are doing all that is required.

    relax we could be in usa or uk

  23. Anonymous says:

    Question is will the vaccine be effective against the new strains of the virus emerging around the world?

  24. Anonymous says:

    Straight up lies and propaganda. I dare a member of the media to go camp out at the hospital today and see who is actually receiving these first doses.

    • Anonymous says:

      Long line from the get go! Please stand aside and let the rest of us get to the front of the line faster.

    • Fine says:

      Almost 100% of healthcare workers got the vaccine yesterday, they were waiting in long lines of hundreds of people to have the opportunity. They waited past the time they got off work so that they could get the vaccine, so if you don’t think it’s safe, think again. These are highly educated professional healthcare providers. And they are anxious to get the vaccine. That should tell you all you need to know

      • Anonymous says:

        Yup…some of these same healthcare workers were debating Trumps bleach martini so I wont be following them anywhere.

  25. Anonymous says:

    The Premier stated during the press conference that receiving more vaccine from the UK was dependent on using up the supply we have received. And yet the vaccination schedule shows that the HSA is only performing vaccinations for a few hours a day Monday to Friday.

    Israel, which has vaccinated more of its population than any other country, is vaccinating 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, as we should be.

    Is there a shortage of doctors and nurses to deliver the vaccine? It’s not like our hospitals are full of COVID patients.

    Half the world is locked down unable to leave their homes with hospitals working round the clock to save people dying from this disease… and we can’t find medical staff to work evenings and weekends?? Really?

    The government should be harnessing the full resources of the islands’ medical community to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible. This is not the time for plodding.

  26. Anonymous says:

    I don’t need it thanks, rather catch this flu than risk my health with this stuff.

  27. Anonymous says:

    what is the plan to get people vaccinated?….
    no-plan-ppm have stuck again.

    • Cruyff says:

      Plan is on the Government website. But actually we seem to have lead the world in fighting the Pandemic without a plan. So what’s the problem.

      I am so proud to see our leaders lead by example.

      Cayman let’s lead the world again and become the first country/Islands to vaccinate 90% of its population.

      We can do this.

  28. Anonymous says:

    How can cayman, especially the Brac keep the Vaccine at such a low temperature to keep it from spoiling

  29. Anonymous says:

    The premier states ‘sense of duty and responsibility’, yet he selectively appears to apply it. It obviously is not applicable in the case of a conviction of the speaker beating a woman while drunk and disorderly.

  30. Anonymous says:

    The vaccine is not approved for our children. How are we going to protect them from vaccinated tourists that can still spread the virus?

    • Anonymous says:

      Well tourists with children are not coming the will be going to every other Caribbean Island that welcomes them SO don’t worry yourself!

      • Anonymous says:

        Just in case you didn’t realise there are children in Cayman already. They won’t be vaccinated and can be exposed to adult vaccinated tourists that can still spread the virus.

    • Anonymous says:

      children don’t get the covid vaccines.. what are you talking about? Look at the uk or any other country making up the 7 million Pfizer and Oxford vaccines administered to date – no country vaccinates children. Your comment makes no sense

    • Anonymous says:

      8:40 Keep them in the Basement!

    • McCarron McLaughlin says:

      Children dont need the vaccine, their immune system is more adapt at fighting off viruses then adults. The vaccine does not prevent anyone from contracting the virus, all it does is mask any underlying symptoms by 95%, so pretty much everyone that takes the jab maybe an asymptomatic carrier.

      The CDC released a report on Wednesday,it said that a total of 21 people between the ages of 27 and 60 years had anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction that can be fatal if left untreated. Seventeen of them had a documented history of allergies to a wide variety of allergens such as bee and wasp stings, eggs, shellfish, cats, penicillin and steroids.

  31. Anonymous says:

    Mt Premier as a country…..Are we not a Territory?

  32. Anonymous says:

    Good news but vaccinating 70% of residents is not enough. Latest indications are that it needs to be a higher percentage to be an effective fire break, and needs to include everyone who is here (whether resident or not). Can government tell us, with any accuracy, how many people are actually here? Please do not quote the ESO.

  33. Anonymous says:

    If it can cure greed stick em all!

  34. Anonymous says:

    Good job! Desperate for buy in by the community and don’t even give those eligible even 24 hours notice for when the vaccine will be administered. If you’re trying to prove to the mother land that you won’t screw up a roll out, you’re starting off on the wrong foot. Height of incompetence.

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