CMO urges community to get COVID shot ASAP

| 28/04/2021 | 185 Comments
Cayman News Service
CMO Dr John Lee gets the COVID-19 vaccine

(CNS): People under the age of 50 have been slow to take up the COVID-19 vaccine, but Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee is urging them to get their shots now. The remaining vaccine shots will expire at the end of June, so anyone not vaccinated by 9 June will miss out on the ability to protect themselves against this coronavirus. Only 130 people were vaccinated over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of residents who have had at least one shot to 35,559, or 55% of the estimated population, with 46% having completed the two-dose course. Dr Lee said the vaccination rate for those under 50 is around 44%.

“Vaccination is very safe,” said Dr Lee. “Although many people have side effects for a day or two, and often only after the second dose, the risks of getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19 by far outweigh the minor side effects that some people suffer. In Brazil during April 2021, more than 50% of intensive care beds were occupied by patients aged less than 40, and we know that variants of concern are affecting the young more,” he warned.

“COVID-19 is raging around the globe but the Cayman Islands has the precious resource of vaccinations. Let’s not waste this gift in the face of the world’s gaze,” Dr Lee said. “People are desperate for vaccinations in countries where patients can’t get enough oxygen and respiratory support.”

Meanwhile, one more traveler tested positive for COVID-19 over the last day. There are currently19 active cases of the virus among the 703 people in isolation, with two of those people showing symptoms.


Share your vote!


How do you feel after reading this?
  • Fascinated
  • Happy
  • Sad
  • Angry
  • Bored
  • Afraid
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Tags: , ,

Category: Health, Medical Health

Comments (185)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    I know of people/students returning in June who do not have access to the vaccine where they are currently situated. They are looking forward to getting the vaccine as soon as they possibly can.

    The poor uptake now has much to do with HSA’s poor way of doling it out. Many people were turned away repeatedly, among them some who have to travel for work/study and desperately begged to be able to get it. I called HSA about that and received a lecture following the system and how the staff needed time off, so absolutely no way they could change the clinic hours! Yes they do, but surely volunteers from private clinics could step in on weekends/evenings?
    There was a captive audience here, and instead of 24/7 vaccinations, the enthusiasm has been allowed to cool off as misinformation became rife and complacency set in. And to make matters worse, even as the vaccines are about to expire, the clinic closed on Wednesday?!

    SMH. Can’t make this up.

    • Anonymous says:

      Suggest those students really try to get it before returning. It’s very easy to find in the US but not sure about UK.

      • Anonymous says:

        Not all students are coming back from the US and UK! What about Canada? EU? Certain countries are months away from vaccinations.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Even skeptics admit now that immune boosters:
    XXXXX

    CNS: AFP Fact check on claims by Geert Vanden Bossche: Mass Covid-19 vaccination will not lead to ‘out of control’ variants
    A scientist’s open letter to the World Health Organization claims that the large-scale Covid-19 vaccination drives currently underway around the world should cease before they produce the catastrophic appearance of more deadly variants of the coronavirus and increased risk for younger people. But medical experts say the claims are false and that vaccination is urgently needed to control virus mutation through widespread immunity.

    Read the full thing here.

  3. Robert Mugabe IV says:

    Anonymous says:
    29/04/2021 at 12:45 pm
    Look at the new studies….Less than 0.1% have got COVID after vacination in elderly groups and 0.009% average aged adults.

    It’s simply amazing how anyone can believe the above. How could that be a true reflection of how effective or not the vaccine is. Those figures could only be correct
    If every single person in the age brackets above were continually tested at regular intervals of less than 14 days for months at a time and beyond.
    The most important word on this Pandemic ‘Asymptomatic’.

    • Anonymous says:

      They did a study of 6000 elderly people and staff, that was the numbers they came out with. CDC stetted it last week.
      They also stated out of 66M people they only had 6000 breakthrough cases.

  4. Anonymous says:

    How much compensation does my family get if I die from any vaccine side effects? Might be worth taking if the financial reward is worthwhile.

  5. Anonymous says:

    The latest conspiracy theory, women can get sick just by standing next to someone that has had the vaccine. Teachers will be fired at private school if they get vaccination..You can’t make this shit up..it makes you wonder where these people get their information..

    https://miami.cbslocal.com/2021/04/28/baffling-parents-confused-centner-academy-not-employee-people-vaccinated/

    • Anonymous says:

      Faux News et al.

    • Anonymous says:

      They are actually 10 steps ahead of you, and there is actually a VALID reason(s) of which you are not aware. You should be concerned with what you don’t know, rather than with what you believe you know.

      If you didn’t progress beyond The Cat in the Hat, trying to bring objective arguments here is useless.

    • Anonymous says:

      The US has a serious mental health issue.

    • Anonymous says:

      LOL. It’s called prion shedding. But it’s way too scientific for you even if you did research it. Carry on.

    • Anonymous says:

      Did you actually read the article?

  6. Anonymous says:

    open the boarders if you get sick to bad

  7. Anonymous says:

    After listening to the latest, April 22, podcast “Geert Vanden Bossche & Bret Weinstein” on YT it is appears that the way things are going with COVID19 mutations, things don’t look good for the world and the Cayman Islands in particular.

    New CIG, Dr.Lee and Health Authority must listen to the podcast to understand what to expect in the near future and be prepared. Opening Cayman borders might not be an option for at least one or two more years (regardless of how many people would vaccinate).

    Here is an excerpt from the Podcast, but you have to listen to it from the beginning to the end, to understand why what is happening is happening.

    “In 1918 pandemic of the respiratory virus there were no human intervention, infection preventive measures were very very limited, it was war on top of that, very bad hygiene and no vaccines. And based on the autopsies, there were no variants. The whole thing happened within one year.
    Now, every second or third week we have a new variant appearing and it is more infectious variant, it very often much more infection variant. It all appears very rapidly. Multiple variants happening within short period of time with dramatically increased infectivity. And this is in parallel with mass vaccination campaign. This is all going very very fast and it is huge. You can’t deny this is happening because of human intervention.”

    If Geert Vanden Bossche is only partially correct…Caymanians should be prepared to stay closed for much longer.

    Of course, you can ignore the podcast off the bat, but it won’t be a wise decision, neither on the individual level, nor on the collective.

    I don’t have a crystal ball, but I did predict in the past that Cayman tourism could come to a halt in the blink of an eye, and pandemic could be one of the reasons. Something tells me that Geert Vanden Bossche scenario could come true. Be prepared.

    Lastly, mass vaccinations are excellent if it is done at the right time, according to Geert Vanden Bossche, but certainly not during wide ranging pandemic. Why? Listen to the podcast.

    • Anonymous says:

      Seriously?? Where do these people come from? Could it be they were vaccinated with bullshit at birth..smh

    • Anonymous says:

      You listened to one podcast and are easily manipulated

      • Anonymous says:

        Wow you guys are amazing. You call us “armchair doctors is it? But you know better than molecular biologists, immunologists and the worlds leading (pro-vaccine) vaccinologist because you think they are now “quacks” because they dont agree with whoever the CDCs team of scientists are.

    • Anonymous says:

      Thank you.

      He is a crucial voice of reason in a storm of conflicting information. He managed to establish a problem, which is a thing that most academics never did in their whole lives. Children of the future will thank him for his efforts, although they don’t know it yet. Chances are, however, his speech will be drowned out in the avalanche of propaganda.

      Unfortunately, there are some people who, at this point, are so brainwashed and/or PTSD from the relentless fear-mongering that no matter what evidence you put in front of their noses, they will not believe it. It is pointless to argue with these people.
      There is also a similarity with Stockholm syndrome-trauma fear response when you don’t want to accept the shear horror of the abuse being purposely inflicted, in this case on everyone. We live in the midst of dystopian nightmare of propaganda and censorship. Never before, humanity experienced this level of self censorship from the science and medical community.

      I am an agnostic and this is a time for me to ask G-D for help.

    • Anonymous says:

      He is making sense. His argument is completely coherent whether or not it is true. This is at least a question that should be engaged by those who are making policies around this because the possibility of making our viral situation with respect to covid worse is present and we are creating the hazard of the future we will be confronting a year or two down the road by our actions now.

    • Anonymous says:

      One of the key points of the podcast: vaccines are very good at preventing people from becoming sick, but being narrowly targeted at the spike protein in advance of a pandemic might work very well and in the midst of a pandemic might have exactly opposite result.

      Not preventing the shedding of a virus they open an evolutionary pathway for the virus to learn new tricks. Mass vaccinations in the midst of a massive infectious pressure which is the case during pandemic creates variants very fast.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Is the CMO the best person to deliver this message?

  9. Anonymous says:

    Suggest a date be set for opening borders. You have till then to get vaccinated. After which you are on your own. Plus being vaccinated must be a pre-requisite for being employed in tourism or other front-line duties. Probably too harsh to swallow but how else are we going to get there?

  10. Anonymous says:

    The cdc and nhs are quietly reducing the counts for the pcr tests down to below 30 rather than 37-40 (reducing the amount of positive cases just in time for their victory laps on vaccines)…and also the uk are planning to reduce the ‘died from Covid’ benchmark from 28 days since testing positive to something far less….can you guess why? So that the vaccine works

    At some stage, you e got to at least ask what’s up rather than post your vax pics a d think you’re amazing ..you’re not, you’re being played

    • Anonymous says:

      And so says the troll in Eastern Europe. Kind of late there isn’t or are you on the late shift?

      • Anonymous says:

        Well I dont know about the troll but I’m in Cayman and my family of age got the vax, however i do see this on the news today –

        inews.co.uk – SAGE seek to change the definition of Covid deaths in Uk from 28 days (positive test) because it’ll ‘distort the stimates of vax efficacy’…which kinda means the 28 days nonsense is just that, a casedemic

        Also…the CDC in USA are changing their interest in the PCR tests unless done at 28 counts or lower, NOT the 37-40 count thresholds that have created the pandemic, sorry, casedemic.

        Facts. Truth. hurts. And i have the vax. Why? what pandemic? It’s all coming out
        Really, sometimes its worth

        • Anonymous says:

          Get that the PCR test iterations could distort the infection count. Or that attributing deaths within 28 days of infection may exaggerate the numbers of those dying. But none of that explains the imagery of wholesale funeral pyres in India, or hospitals running out of medical oxygen, or mass graves in Brazil.

          • Anonymous says:

            Do you remember these headlines :

            “We Ran Out of Space’: Bodies Pile Up as N.Y. Struggles to Bury Its Dead
            The coronavirus crisis is overwhelming New York’s system for burying the dead.

            New York City Deploys 45 Mobile Morgues as Virus Strains Funeral Homes

            Texas-coronavirus-deaths overwhelm funeral homes in South Texas

            Ambulance crews told not to transport patients who have little chance of survival [California]

            • Little Explanation says:

              The back story to those head lines was a little more believable. NY was in complete lockdown so there were no burials going on as funerals were not allowed. Naturally, that will create a log jam if you can’t plant anyone after they died. CV or not.

              South Texas has a large population of people with pre-existing conditions and there to while there was an increase in the typical death rate – people were not getting buried as well because – well people were getting sick and others had to isolate once exposed. Everything was grinding to a halt. It affected everything and not just funeral homes. Construction projects, manufacturing, food production, and every single industry as well was running behind.

    • Anonymous says:

      You are right. It is a giant conspiracy. Thanks for letting us know but the conspirators called ahead and told us it was aimed at only you.

    • Anonymous says:

      Is that you Orange Donnie?

  11. Anonymous says:

    Sadly, it will take a few beloved and well known locals dying from COVID for everyone to jump on board and want to get vaccinated.

  12. AGREED 100% says:

    I agree with you 100% … and they make anybody look SELFISH who don’t get it. Hypocrits! Before you can love others effectively, you have to love your self first! And I choose to love myself by living a healthy lifestyle – not relying on man’s inventions. “MY BODY MY CHOICE”

    • Anonymous says:

      Go ahead and live your healthy lifestyle. However, when your narcissism endangers others that is where your ‘love’ ends. Covid is an infectious disease – that means your exercise of your choice affects others.

      • Anonymous says:

        Nonsense! Vaccinated persons can get Covid too. It is no threat to you or anyone if somebody else chooses to not get the vaccine!

        • Anonymous says:

          Clearly you know nothing of either infectious disease or the meaning of probability……

          Either that or you are one of those Eastern European or Chinese trolls and I have just reacted to your idiotic post

    • Anonymous says:

      You look selfish because … you are. Ditto the point about hypocrites – someone who says their personal regard for themselves is more important than the potential social cost of not getting vaccinated then saying they love others. Only person being taken into account in your equation is you.

      • Anonymous says:

        I am selfish. Born to be selfish. I love my family and friends. I want my offsprings to be healthy. Can’t save humanity even if I sacrifice my own health or life to the experimental booster.

  13. Anonymous says:

    The current vaccination level is a crisis in the making. Our new government is transparently doing nothing.

    • Anonymous says:

      Sorry, I do not buy into your irrational fear.

      • Anonymous says:

        looked at simply from a monetary cost angle, people sick from covid cost a lot. Put them on a ventilator and its even more.

        For those that have CINOCO or indigent, thats going to come from general revinue.

        For those on other health plans, just wait for the rise in health care costs.

    • Guido Marsupio says:

      The UK is up to 65% today and Cayman at 55%. That’s pitiful if a small island can’t keep up with bigger one. GET VACCINATED!

      • Anonymous says:

        True. We started out with such an impressive vaccination rate but that sure fizzled out in a hurry.

  14. Anonymous says:

    If they were interested, Public Health and the Statistics Office could identify the biggest employment groups including government, retail, domestic servants, construction, etc, then go to relevant work sites money transfer sites etc. and interview 200 of each. That would provide a better indication of what the issues are with vaccine hesitance/refusal than the nothing that is being done now.

  15. Anonymous says:

    Our students are coming back for Summer and most likely none of them could get the vaccine. I hope we will get more before their overseas return?

  16. Anonymous says:

    Well, the problem is half a population are below average intelligence. Think of the average person. Yes, half the people are dumber.

    I bet there’s a rough correlation between IQ and vaccination, with a few anomalies.

    • Anonymous says:

      It is clear to everyone which group you belong.

      • Anonymous says:

        Well, however arrogant or elitist the viewpoint, I bet you they are in the vaccinated group.

      • Anonymous says:

        All I know is that I’m vaccinated, as I’m quite keen on breathing, as well as being judgmental toward those who look a gift horse in the mouth.

        Have a great day.

    • Anonymous says:

      And *I’ll* bet that there’s a direct correlation between those who complain tirelessly about government deficiencies while simultaneously insisting upon giving government more authority and those who adore double masking and coerced vaccinations.

  17. Anonymous says:

    The privileged who do not see the reality of many others and make comments here to the effect that; ‘if people can’t make it to the airport vaccination site with its limited times then let them die’, are disgusting.

    There are thousands of domestics and others here who work from 8AM to 6PM 6 days a week for very little pay. They have no transport and very little money for taxis.

    For the sake of the less fortunate and ours we need to find ways to make vaccines available to those who can’t get vaccinated while we run this 1 size fits all and make it convenient for the staff, approach to vaccination.

    • Anonymous says:

      The fact the government lets people get away with they way domestic helpers working hours is a huge issue. And they usually work for well connected families who can have them deported if they report the abuse. Modern slavery alive and well.

    • Anonymous says:

      While true, I don’t think this is the reason. There aren’t 8,000 domestic workers… I think its more vaccine hesitancy. People not wanting the shot because they feel safe here and prefer to wait for more safety data to come out as more people get the shot. The “you first” mentality.

      • Anonymous says:

        Some are deliberately holding out because they “think we’re doing fine without our borders open”.

  18. Anonymous says:

    It may be the best thing for Cayman if the new Covid variant that causes the penises of non-vaccinated men to rot and fall off got through the border. If that happened there would be a queue from the airport vaccine center all the way to East End and Barkers.

    ** No such variant – yet – just making a point about priorities.

    • Anonymous says:

      Best idea EVER for breaking the current lack of interest in vaccination. Who has an FB account?

    • Anonymous says:

      Could I also add that there can be a true FEAR of needles in general???
      Yes I know it is irrational to most, but so is the fear of spiders, frogs, snakes, heights, deep water etc. The list goes on. All of which I am NOT afraid of. There is not much I am afraid of, I have abseiled down the side of cliffs, bungee jumped, jumped out of a plane.. And me here, a grown ass adult and I am afraid of needles. Keep your forking needles away from me. I need a Xanax to get a tooth filled. Don’t know why and yes I will get it as soon as I get my nerve up.

      But the peer pressure and derogatory statements from all of these comments does NOT help!!!!!

      • Anonymous says:

        Oh pahleeeese. Stop with the enabling of nonsense.

      • Anonymous says:

        You’ve had 4 months to get your nerve up .. the longer you’ve waited the more anxious you’ve become. I’m not thrilled by needles either, but I got it as soon as I could to eliminate the anxiety.
        Just take a Xanax and go get it! This jab could literally save your life.

  19. Anonymous says:

    Bermuda does not have the same strong border controls we do. Last Tuesday the Premier of Bermuda delivered the following message. Hopefully Wayne and our new Health minister never have to make a similar statement EVER.

    “I begin my remarks today by offering sincere condolences to everyone who has lost a family member, a friend, a neighbour or a colleague in circumstances related to the coronavirus. Recently we have had a number of deaths, and my heart goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one during this pandemic….

    There are currently 601 active cases, of which;

    · 570 are under public health monitoring and;

    · 31 are in the hospital, with eight (8) in critical care.

    Since March 2020, Bermuda has recorded 2362 total confirmed cases of COVID-19; out of those, 1737 persons have recovered, and sadly, 24 persons have succumbed to COVID-19.”

    https://www.gov.bm/articles/covid-19-update-minister-healths-remarks-27-april-2021

  20. Anonymous says:

    Do we have adequate data on the demographics of the part of our population that is not getting vaccinated? I have friends working in several different sectors and it seems that large percentages of some groups, including construction workers, are refusing to get vaccinated because of wildly irrational fears spread through social media and rumor.

    Having good data would go a long way to figuring out how to fix this situation.

    • Anonymous says:

      Great comment. I have friends who have only been able to get the vaccine recently once the opening hours have been amended, despite wanting it ever since we began vaccinating. How many others want it but cannot access it due to having to work late hours or no access to transport? We should make it easy for them, why isnt the clinic open 10-10 over the weekends?

  21. Anonymous says:

    If the UK are not committed to sending more vaccines once this batch expires, how are we all getting our 6 month boosters?

    • Anonymous says:

      That would be different than having a significant percentage of the population refusing to use the vaccine we have on hand right now.

      This stuff will expire soon and CIG should say that there will be no 1st shots after June 9th and the excess over what is needed for 2nd shots will be donated to another country.

      • Anonymous says:

        doesn’t answer the question, does it. Where is the commitment to the 6 month dosage? the CEO of Pfizer said this week it’s necessary. Otherwise, whats the point?

        • Anonymous says:

          The U.K. GVT has just secured 60 million doses of Pzifer vaccines for winter booster.
          To begin booster program in late autumn.
          I am sure we will get ours then.
          The non vaccinated people here who are thinking of getting theirs “at leisure” later on are the ones who need to rethink their approach.

        • Anonymous says:

          There is no evidence a booster is necessary. The vaccine offers strong protection for “at least” 6 months. That’s a materially different expression than saying it “only” lasts 6 months.

          • Anonymous says:

            Er…the CEO of Pfizer said its necessary, but ok, you be you and know everything

            • Anonymous says:

              Actually, he said a booster was “likely” necessary within 12 months. Use google to fact check me if you’d like.

              “Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said people will “likely” need a booster dose of a Covid-19 vaccine within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated. His comments were made public Thursday but were taped April 1.” CNBC

        • Anonymous says:

          That’s a different discussion, but I think it’s safe to assume they will provide enough supplies to boost those who have actually been vaccinated.

    • Anonymous says:

      There are no more scheduled deliveries, doesn’t mean there won’t be more deliveries in the future

    • Anonymous says:

      There is no recommendation for booster shots at this time. Its widely expected protection from the vaccine should last at least 1 year.

  22. Anonymous says:

    Are those in quarantine able to get vaccinated? I know of people arriving to the island in May who want to be vaccinated but who won’t be out of quarantine by June 9. Will another shipment be brought in for returning students unable to be vaccinated in their country of study in the summer?

    • Anonymous says:

      Tourists or returning Caymanians/residents?

      • Anonymous says:

        Does it matter when we have doses? I’d be more inclined to say it will expire before the wait period between doses.

    • Anonymous says:

      Even better is that those students should try to get vaccine before even coming home.

      • Anonymous says:

        This kind of ridiculous comment is easy to make in sheltered Cayman. Many of us have lived with COVID in the UK for nearly a year, not able to come home for Christmas due to lockdowns and quarantines. I have been told I am not likely to be able to get a vaccine in the UK until July, when I will be back in Cayman. Should I just skip seeing my home and family for another 7 months so I can stay to get a vaccine here?

    • Anonymous says:

      any reason why returning students havent managed to get vaccinated already? Its not like they have to be vaccinated immediately before the flight.

      • Anonymous says:

        Because most countries aren’t vaccinating younger people yet, some of us don’t have that option.

      • Anonymous says:

        Because in countries like Canada and most of the EU, people have been waiting for months to get the vaccine, it is NOT freely available as you and many other posters here seem to believe!!!

  23. Anonymous says:

    On Jun 1st, please send whatever is left less 2nd doses to Jamaica or elsewhere. Please do not let them waste

  24. Anonymous says:

    The UK needs to implement the same policy as it is in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

    There are a a number of expats here on work permit who are refusing to get the vaccine which puts the rest of us at risk.

    It should be a policy that anyone coming to the country now should have the vaccine or after they have completed their quarantine they must go to the airport and have their vaccine done.

    I don’t want to hear the foolishness about human rights. We are giving you the privilege to come here and to thrive in our covid free environment and just like you need to get a work permit and a medical to come here than you must get the vaccine. If you don’t want it, don’t come. There are literally thousands of people ready and waiting to take your spot.

    As far as those that are already here, get your vaccine done otherwise you will not have your permit renewed.

    I don’t like sounding so harsh but these people are playing with our families and our lives. We have gotten this far covid free, we cannot stay locked down forever, and we cannot continue to remain held hostage forever. Remember we have no place to go. Anyone that comes here can simply pack up and leave when we start getting infected like other countries.

    • Paper Caymanian says:

      The people in my office refusing the vaccination are born Caymanians.

    • Anonymous says:

      Just like you can’t get a work permit if you have TB or AIDS. This DOES need to be a condition of employment/work permit. Yes it’s their choice to be vaccinated or not, but just because they don’t like the consequences of that choice isn’t our problem.

    • Anonymous says:

      You don’t get it. You have no idea what you are talking about.

      Firstly – Many of the unvaccinated are also CAYMANIAN.

      Secondly – The vaccine is NOT a magic potion.
      Being vaccinated does NOT prevent you from carrying/transmitting it!!! This is why they still require quarantine. IMHO I think it is a mistake to take it down to 10 from 14 days because you can still carry it and pass it on… Sucks but there you go.
      Downvote away Covidiots!

      • Anonymous says:

        Only a small chance really. Should be 5 day quarantine

        • Anonymous says:

          It is utterly nonsensical to base the length of quarantine on anything other than the incubation period of the virus. The virus does not negotiate.

      • Anonymous says:

        Look at the new studies….Less than 0.1% have got COVID after vacination in elderly groups and 0.009% average aged adults.

    • anon says:

      12.16am Where do you get your information from, nearly all those in line in the early days were expats and your ilk were complaining they were getting squeezed out. In my experience a lot of the current non vaxers are local, like John John was until he realised he would lose his Ministry without it. I am not aware of any country other than T & C that has this policy.Add your policy to the Pact intention to have them all walk or bike to work, and your pronlem will no longer exist.

    • Anonymous says:

      Brilliant. You manage to take something like vaccination against a communicable disease that doesn’t differentiate between its victims ethnicity or national origin, and make it a Caymanian versus expat issue. SMH.

  25. Anonymous says:

    The HSA and Dr. Lee are to blame for this. Their ridiculous hours. last names, individual days and whatever other government bureaucracy they could employ did nothing but discourage people from getting the vaccine.

    Although it is wide open now for the vaccine the times are very awkward. Why can’t we have the same times every and why can’t we get a small team to fill in over the lunch break?

    There are still a lot of the conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxxers who won’t ever change their mind. I say just let them be. They had their opportunity if they or one of their family members gets covid and dies they may change their minds albeit to late.

    The problem we have here is that we have been spoiled by being in a basically free covid environment for so long and without any deaths that people have become complacent and think that this will continue foreverand it just can’t. People who earned their living in the Tourism Business, one of the Economic Pillars of our country have been without work for over a year. Government cannot and should not have to continue to support them simply because of some people that believe they are going to be injected with microchips or grow horns. Millions of people all over the world have now taken the vaccine and the amount of those having complications are extremely low. Even here in Cayman we have had nothing more than the normal side effects from taking a vaccine.

    When these are done, those who didn’t take the opportunity to get it done will have to suffer the consequences and we plan a date to open the country on a phased basis.

    We have I believe about 40 ventilators here and if need be we can reopen the Covid Hospital again. We cannot continue to be held hostage by these people.

    Sometimes I feel like these people are like the Trump Supporters in the States. He filled their heads up with foolishness and then ended up getting the vaccine himself. Trump was able to get the best drugs (experimental) which most of these anti-vaxxers say the vaccine is but their fearless leader took the same vaccine and is enjoying life in South Florida while other people who couldn’t afford or get the same treatment as him had to live without seeing their loved ones until they were placed in a casket to be buried.

    • Anonymous says:

      Forced to park in the furthest possible point from the terminal despite empty short term lot. I kept driving and went back to work instead.

      • Anonymous says:

        I get that this is a bit irritating and non-sensical, but seriously? You couldn’t walk across the airport parking lot?

      • Anonymous says:

        Wow, lazy much?

      • Anonymous says:

        Being forced to park far away for a quick visit that typically takes 20 minutes?! Seriously now. Who is giving the security guards these ridiculous instructions?!

      • t says:

        You can’t be serious? You couldn’t walk an extra 50 meters to get a free shot that most of the world are desperate to get their hands on? That was too much for you?
        I’ve heard a lot of reasons why ppl aren’t getting the shot on this forum, many of them I can relate with. This one takes the biscuit.

      • Anonymous says:

        I bet you’re one of those that calls in sick when it rains…SMH…

      • Anonymous says:

        You should walk more, it actually will help keep yourself health enough to fight off viruses.

      • Anonymous says:

        FORCED TO WALK NEARLY ONE HUNDRED FEET. HOW WILL I SURVIVE THIS DEGRADATION.

      • Anonymous says:

        If it had been free food and drink I don’t suppose that would have been an issue.

      • Anonymous says:

        Bet you’re the kind that continually hauls up and parks by the front entrance a Fosters.

      • Anonymous says:

        Are you disabled? No didn’t think so🙄

      • Anonymous says:

        First world problems eh!

        I’m sure people in India would sympathize with your plight.

        I’m also sure that COVID isn’t your main concern. Cardio is gonna be your jam in the near future.

      • Anonymous says:

        Millions are dead and you’re complaining about the extra 30 feet of walking distance to receive a free vaccine, and the best one on the planet, without an appointment or lineup. Good luck to you.

      • Anonymous says:

        8:28am

        Based on this level of laziness, you are probably not a physically active person and high-risk so should head right back to the airport for a shot. Have a friend drop you off at the door so you don’t have to do the grueling 100yd hike. 🙄

      • Anonymous says:

        God forbid you should have to walk 100m to get a free jab that may save your life or the life of others, and which people in India would fight for he opportunity to get. The horror.

    • Anonymous says:

      12:04 am – You ruined your entire argument by your Trump conspiracy comparison BS. Was past your bedtime anyway. Turn off CNN, put down the pipe and go to bed.

  26. Anonymous says:

    we need a plan…where is the new government?
    cayman is now an embarassment to humanity….a country given enough vaccines for the entire population but they haven’t got the brains to take it…..smh. welcome to wonderland.

    • Anonymous says:

      The plan is (and always has been) to secure our bubble until the world catches up. We have no control over the pace of policy in the rest of the world. Better sit down, it could be awhile.

  27. Anonymous says:

    Set a date for border reopening and also say the vaccine will no longer be offered free of charge…what them queue out the door. We’ve had the carrot, time to use the stick

  28. Anonymous says:

    After reading comments on the past 3 covid related articles, I think we can confirm that intolerance and self righteousness are side effects of the vaccine.

    • Anonymous says:

      If Intolerance for anti-vax idiots with conspiracy theories is a side effect of the vaccine, then every anti-vaxxer needs to take it..

      Millions of people all over the world have taken the vaccine, show us the proof of your conspiracy theories and then we will stop our intolerance of your foolishness.

      • Anonymous says:

        I have every right to live and die naturally, just as humans have been doing for thousands of years before modern medicine. Just as I have every right to take what I need from the land/ ocean for personal sustenance and collect water to drink. It’s the way humans naturally fit into the universe. Your way of life with the cities, industries and pharmaceuticals is, as a matter of fact, the detriment to mankind- not the people who don’t like injections.

        Aren’t you the same lot worried about overpopulation? Do away with modern medicine and watch the problem solve itself. You’ll disagree, But that’s because you are the epitome of ignorance and you live in a deluded egocentric bubble while fearing death so much that you can’t truly live.

        Take your vaca-cines and leave the rest of us alone.

        • Anonymous says:

          If you’d just wanted to say “I don’t care if vulnerable people die because of my selfishness” you could have done.

          • Anonymous says:

            If you believe vaccines work, go ahead and get one. You’ll be protected and you won’t have to worry about those who refuse. What’s the big deal?

            Also, death is inevitable for all of us and me not wanting a vaccine is not being selfish. If anything, vulnerable people demanding everybody get an experimental shot and perpetuating the idea of mandatory vaccinations is what is selfish.

            Your argument holds no water and isn’t backed by real science, which is why you lot resort to throwing insults around.

            Watch as I use your logic against you: It’s my body, it’s my choice.

            • Anonymous says:

              You are also a total idiot. You probably had every vaccine when you where just an infant an probably the reason you have remained healthy.

              Can I invite you to take a trip to South Florida, I will even put you up in a nice hotel on South Beach? you have to promise though that you will not wear a mask or social distance for the time you are there. Hell, I’ll even set you up with some of the Spring Breakers for some night time partying..Let me know when yo are ready..

            • Dave says:

              I assume when you get ill you refuse all medical treatment. It’s nature way of taking out the weak. You first. Thank you Mr. Darwin.

      • Anonymous says:

        8:46am – Mr Judgmental
        Where in that comment did you read in that comment that the person said ANYTHING about a conspiracy theory or that they were anti-vax???
        It was ONE sentence. LMAO and you have proven it to be true!! LOL
        “intolerance and self righteousness are side effects of the vaccine”

        I have had the shot and agree wholeheartedly with the comment above (8:59pm)

    • Anonymous says:

      There should be intolerance of foreign agents trying to de-stabilize Cayman by spreading dis-information about the vaccines.

  29. Anonymous says:

    I’m pregnant now and not able to get a doctors letter to satisfy HSA requirement in order to receive the vaccine. I’m not due until July. Will there be vaccines available after for those that cannot take them now?

    Who do I ask?

    *CNS: Click here and scroll down to the Flu Hotline. I would cut and paste the info but for some reason you can’t do that from the HSA website. It’s really annoying.

  30. Anonymous says:

    We have a moral obligation not to send vaccine to the dump. We should send the doses that are unwanted to people who are desperate for them.

    The vaccine doses acquired for people in Cayman who refuse to be vaccinated should be used to save lives somewhere. The people who are medically able to take the vaccine but don’t want to should be left to the consequences they have chosen. Further they should pay all their own costs when they become ill.

  31. Anonymous says:

    The people under 40 don’t feel threatened. Stop worrying about them. You probably won’t see a single death under 40. Open the border!

    CNS: Even if you are right, they can still carry and spread the virus so that it can mutate to a more virulent version, and they may be more susceptible to future versions. So even if the under 40s don’t care about other people, they should care about themselves.

  32. Anonymous says:

    It is becoming clear that hackers from China and Russia are spreading disinformation regarding Pfizer, AstroZeneca and other Western produced vaccines on social media and local news sites globally. Their aim is to discredit Western produced vaccines and de-stabilize economies for geopolitical reasons. Many of the posts spreading misinformation in Cayman are undoubtedly coming from hacker sites in Eastern Europe and China. It is unfortunately that so many good people have been taken in by these criminals. Our people will suffer and die because of being taken in by these hackers.

    • Anonymous says:

      Absolutely. From what I understand they use different messages to target different groups, focusing on social media frequented by the poorly educated. They have designed messages that sound sort of scientific and refer to non-existent or fake ‘scientific reports’. At the same time they try to dissuade people from looking at sites with valid information.

      Apparently for uneducated young men they create fake reports of impotence and loss of muscle and for young women they create fake reports of things like weight gain and sterility.

      I understand that this ridiculous stuff is circulating on FB locally but is coming from foreign hackers.

    • Anonymous says:

      If they are gullible enough to believe in a sky fairy and his fairytale book, they will believe anything!

    • Anonymous says:

      Some of the other lies being spread by Russian and Chinese hackers who pose as locals is that the virus is nothing more than a cold. They are doing this to try to disrupt entire economies as the virus brings countries to their knees.

      One of the lies being spread by these hackers is that people under 50 don’t get sick. While it might have been true that people under 50 got sick less often with the original strain, that is not true with the variants including the Brazilian variant now spreading in the US.

      In Brazil more than 50% of people in ICU with Covid are now under 40 years of age.

      https://www.yahoo.com/news/most-covid-19-icu-patients-125357714.html

      • Anonymous says:

        Not all people who post here are locals. We’re waiting for the Cayman borders to open, therefore read your news and express our opinions.

        We could be anywhere, from the US, Canada, the UK, or any other country in the world.

        We don’t insult you, so please stop making assumptions about us.

        Imagine there’s no countries
        It isn’t hard to do
        Nothin’ to kill or die for
        And no religion, too
        Imagine all the people
        Livin’ life in peace
        Yoo, hoo, ooh-ooh

    • Anonymous says:

      That makes a lot of sense. FB info is crazy and so many of the posts here about vaccine causing bad things don’t make sense. There are some very bad people doing this.

    • Anonymous says:

      So you plug out the internet connection when you go into other peoples homes in case ‘they’re’ listening?

    • Anonymous says:

      Don’t be a parrot and repeat what has been already written elsewhere. We can read.

      Nobody discredits covid boosters, western or eastern made. I am not even sure why someone wants to create an antagonism between East and West.

      While some refuse Covid jabs (regardless of where it is being made) out of fear of side effects, injury and death, many others have health conditions that make them high risk for severe complications.

      There are people who already had Covid19 l, therefore immune to it (unless science proves otherwise) and people who refuse to be subjects of vaccines trials.

      2% of world’s population was tested covid positive and 98% recovered or never got sick.

      FYI
      COVID Vaccines platforms:

      Human adenovirus => Sputnik V, Johnson&Johnson, CanSino

      Chimpanzee adenovirus => AstraZeneca

      Dead COVID19=> Sinopharm, Sinovac

      Synthetic COVID S-protein => Novovax

      mRNA => Pfizer, Moderna

    • Anonymous says:

      Agreed – It is likely that many or all of the ‘Dislike’ clicks are coming from these criminals.

    • Anonymous says:

      Your not mentioning the trumpites, rand paul, the idiot from texas and many other members of the far right.

  33. Anonymous says:

    There are at least 3 distinct groups in our community:

    1) those that want to get vaccinated but are having difficulty because of things like the hours that they work, the places that the reside, and transport limitations. Whatever can be done to assist these people get vaccinated ought to be done ASAP.

    2) those that are opposed to the vaccine for whatever reason. It is unlikely that these people are going to change their minds. If we know the numbers make sure that we have enough body bags and divert resources to those that want the vaccine.

    3)those that cannot take the Pfizer vaccine for medical reasons. These people should be offered one of the other vaccines if possible.

    • Anonymous says:

      4) obnoxious commenters on CNS.

    • Anonymous says:

      5]. Those that use scaremongering to sway people to their opinion

      There some in the medical profession that refuse it too. Don’t forget this is experimental complete with government waivers and indemnities to pharmaceutical companies and for good reason. The long term effects are unknown. The results so far have good indications but that is all they are. People who choose not to have this particular vaccine should not be condemned or punished with threats or sanctions, leave them be and drop stupid body bag comments.

      • Anonymous says:

        It is not scaremongering when based in fact. Covid kills. Citing an unidentified extreme minority of people with medical degrees who don’t believe in Covid is anecdotal if those people exist.

        In addition, having a medical degree does not ensure rationality. If you looked hard enough you could probably find people with medical degrees who believe the earth is flat and gravity does not exist.

        • Anonymous says:

          It IS scaremongering when trying to have people believe that it is basically a certainty that Covid will kill them.

          Covid DOES kill some persons….almost always due to a comorbidity such as obesity. Sadly, I’ve lost a friend to Covid.
          Covid also DOESN’T kill many persons. Most people that catch it do just fine! I’ve known people aged from 2 months to 91 years that have had it…..varying degrees of sickness….and survived with no issues.

          That said, the vaccine IS proving to be very good at keeping symptoms mild to nonexistent and even for stopping the spread.

          I’m perfectly ok with persons choosing to vaccinate, or not, based on their personal assessment of risk from the disease or from the vaccine. However. I’m not okay with persons demanding my lifestyle be restricted to protect them because they’ve chosen to not be vaccinated.

          Extremism on either side of the argument is harmful to the cause.

    • Anonymous says:

      5) People who want the Pfizer vaccine but cannot get it because they are currently pregnant or in quarantine or temporarily unable to receive it.
      6) Returning residents and students who are counting on getting it upon return.

  34. Anonymous says:

    Not until there is a firm border opening date.

    • Anonymous says:

      Not clear to me whether you want the border to stay closed and that is why you won’t get vaccinated, or you want the border opened and you are thinking that by threatening to risk your health or the health of others, the government will be extorted into opening the border. Which is it?

    • Andrew Tweedie says:

      Did you ever think, maybe we won’t get a firm opening date until we have enough vaccinated people to create herd immunity?

    • Anonymous says:

      No vaccine, no opening of the border. It’s your play.

      • Anonymous says:

        No border opening, no vaccine. Over to you.

        • Anonymous says:

          Idiot

        • Anonymous says:

          I’m with you. I fear neither the vaccine nor the virus. The people that want to travel or don’t want their business to fail better start putting pressure on the government to set a date because there are quite a few who will continue to play the opposing side to government coercion. Set a date or we can wait…years..

    • Anonymous says:

      Idiot

    • Anonymous says:

      There won’t be a firm opening date until the hold outs take the vaccine… it’s a catch 22 really.

    • Anonymous says:

      Not until Coronavirus vaccine makers are shielded from liability.

      • Anonymous says:

        All our doctors on island are shielded too. So looks like you won’t need the vaccine considering you’ll boycott them too.

Leave a Reply to anon Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.