Dominican immunologist based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Dr. Swinburne Augustine and Medical Doctor, Sam Christian, were among several health practitioners featured prominently in a high-powered Caribbean Community webinar on the COVID vaccine on February 6, 2021.
Speaking on the issue of trust and trial of the vaccine, Dr. Augustine attributed vaccine hesitancy in the Caribbean and among the black population, to lack of trust arising from the legacy of horrible, officially-sanctioned abuse.
The Delices native highlighted the importance of ensuring racial and ethnic diversity in clinical trials especially for the Covid 19 vaccines because Covid 19 has taken a very heavy toll on people of color.
“Diversity within clinical trials for Covid-19 in particular, helps ensure the safety and effectiveness across the population and it helps to increase that confidence and trust among our people. Historically, people of color have been underrepresented in clinical trials for several reasons. and they are all access barriers,” he stated.
Pushing back against fears of depopulation and genetic modification, Dr. Augustine encouraged minorities to participate in clinical trials. He said the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in blacks are similar to those in whites. Despite a statistically small number of side effects, the scientist contends that deciding not to take the vaccine is like the roll of the dice on your life.
For his part, Dr. Christian revealed that the 1200-strong Caribbean Virus Defense (CVD), an initiative f his, was founded on Facebook to combat the tsunami of confusing disinformation making the rounds on social media.
“As the virus marched across the world that’s when we decided to form in the first instance, the Dominica Virus Defence (DVD) but the interest was so great across the Caribbean that we decided to rename it to the CVD and we were focusing on promoting best practices looking at cutting edge strategies from the region and the rest of the world,” he stated, adding that any proactive individual can participate.
The Dominica-based surgeon noted that with the help of leading Dominican experts, the country has been one of the fortunate few to be spared from deaths, but pointed out that the public is still plagued with the constant threat of misinformation.
According to Dr. Christian, “this time, our own scientists are in the lead, like Dr. Augustine. Also, having Dr. Carissa Etienne at the head of P.A.H.O. has redounded to our benefit. At the end of the day, it is up to enlightened citizens to keep officials honest, to comply with the protocols and accept the hope offered by the vaccine. Some panelists already had the jab while the rest committed to taking it as soon as it was available in their area.”
He encouraged citizens to utilize the fact-checkers tools which are available online, to avoid the spread of misinformation as it pertains to the virus, and stressed the need to be more informed on the benefits of the vaccines.
The webinar was chaired by medical sociologist, Dr. Karen Francis and organized by Jamaican Ambassador Emeritus, attorney Curtis Ward from the Washington DC metropolitan area. Several other doctors provided valuable input. Of particular interest was the key role of churches as trusted messengers to enhancing vaccination response.
Below is a YouTube video of the entire Caribbean Community Covid Vaccine Webinar.
Now everyone is saying the vaccine is safe, and should be taken without fear. But not too long ago, Democrats were casting doubts about the same. Not that any thing was wrong with it. But they didn’t want Trump to get any credit. Now Clinton, Obama, Bush, Biden including Kamala Harris. Under Biden’s administration, everyone on TV taking their injection and singing the praises of it’s safety.
Governor Cuomo (Democrat) of N.Y. was asked.
“Do you trust the vaccine?”
His answer was.
“No, no one in the U.S. trust it.”
When Trump announced it is ready and available to every State in the U.S. except New York, because Cuomo don’t want it. The same practice,he began to assault Trump.
Let us never forget, it was under Trump’s leadership we got 3 vaccines, in record time. This is history in the making.
There is another big story, about Cuomo.How he cause the death of over 15.000 elderly in Nursing Homes. But I will let ambassador Ward tell us about it first.
Didn’t you and Trump just lose an election and they had to run him out with a few grocery bags in hand?
Than he threw you and Qanon under the bus for trying to overthrow the U.S government? Asking for a friend.
This is the expected result of taking the vaccine.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-israel-vaccine-idUSKBN2AE0Q2
Someone script this nonesensical thought.
“Taking the Covid 19′ should be a personal choice…..I will not persuade nor disuade anyone from taking it”.
Well Sir this is just not encouraging nor appropriate. You’re dealing with lives of vulnerable, innocent, family people.
Please follow the need and get credible information before you go on social media saying unconfirmedb things please gather logical information. That’s the way to go.
Lets keep all of our people and focused.
Gods Blessings.
Didn’t know there were scientists in dominica… anyway stop being ignorant take the vaccine
Taking the COVID-19 vaccine should be a personal choice. I will not persuade nor dissuade anyone from taking it.
Personally I have to be convinced beyond any doubt of its efficacy. Those who want to get the jab go right ahead. Those who refuse its your its your right to do so.
I hope that Dominica will continue to be COVID-19 death-free.
Ill line up for my shot. Before they put it in my arm ill stop them. We can put that same shot in the good docs daughters arm. That will convince me.
It is so refreshing to hear these distinguished experts,endorsing the vaccines.Which will soon be available to everyone.
My better half (a Registered Nurse) took the first phase. She experienced no negative effects. But after 3 weeks, she had the last one and had a little headache and fever for 2 days. Now all is well.
I was expecting this gentleman Ward, to acknowledge the business skills of Trump, who put Operation Warp Speed together.And in record time, gave us these vaccines. Again within 10 months. The normal time for them to be available to the public is 5 yrs .History in the making. Trump gave his own cash. $100.000 to Health And Human Services, to fight this COVID-19. But as the saying goes.)
“No good deeds go unpunished.”
@J.John-Charles, surprised to see you have resurfaced with your adulation of Trump considering what happened on January 6th at the Capitol. Trump’s suggestion to people at the onset of the pandemic was to “go and inject yourselves with bleach” (less you forgot). The people you should be praising for making these vaccines available at such short notice are the scientist who worked tirelessly producing and trialling them to ensure they were safe to use. and FYI, The British started using their vaccines before Trump offered it to Americans and both the Russians and the Chinese were off he mark with their vaccines before Trump. There wasn’t even a distribution plan in place in order to get the shots into peoples arms when Biden took over from Trump. If anything, Biden deserves more credit than Trump. So i suggest you stop with your ignorance and misinformation and go back under the rock you’ve been hiding and watch the impeachment unfurl. Trump is of no more significance to anyone.
I like your sentiment, but the only “business skills” former disgraced President Bone Spurs had ware those of a criminal grifter.
And punished he will be, right after being punished by U.S. voters for being a 1 term fool in the arms of the kuklux klan or Qanon. They’re just now tweaking the process so that he can’t run ever again. Give it a rest already, wipe your tears, they rushed him to pack his isht and leave, the evil man is gone.
JJ the fake Trump, everyone had moved on but you still on DNO with that vomit, pretending you didn’t know that he squandered a presidency and the loser lost. You know he admitted that he was told early about covid-19 and just because they told him that frontline workers (translation – Black people & minorities) would be the gravely affected, he admitted to Bob Woodward in an interview that he told no one, went but on to deny covid existed etc, lost an election as a direct result, tried to execute a coup that almost got the whole U.S Government k*lled except himself. He was beaten, now you just need to wipe tears, give DNO a break for a while. Trump isn’t down he can still get a job to replace Rush Limbo spewing hatred on radio, so stop crying.
If the whole idea behind the vaccine is to achieve herd-immunity, then a good idea would be to offer an incentive to entice more reluctant people into taking the vaccine. The offer can be a $500 for everyone taking it – $200 for the first shot and an additional $300 upon completion of the second shot. Based on the 70,000 population in relation to Dominica, this would work out at a cool $35,000,000. This would be seen as an investment into the economy (with this investment recirculating back into the economy) to get it back on track with people being able to go about living their lives normally and the economy reopening.
Why yall obsessed with handout so. Take the vaccine for yourself your family your friends and your country…. keep in mind those people who have no work no income as a result of covid. Remittances are also down
Your solution appeals to greed, so should do well in Dominica if implemented.
You mean like in the Dominica elections. An envelope to vote for the DLP and another to vote for the PR. In your eyes a good thing too because it’s a ‘good investment into the economy’. Dominicans have warped minds for true! Born beggars and Skerrit always knew that.