While the roll out of various vaccines has been a cause of hope for many, others remain skeptical and there is an uneasiness over what is being considered the most promising solution to the pandemic.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has announced that Dominica should get one of the vaccines by April, and his government is determined to purchase enough doses to be able to vaccinate every adult who wants it by August of this year.
With the level of vaccine hesitancy among many people, Skerrit stated his government will not make taking the vaccine mandatory but urged as many people as possible to get it when it becomes available.
PAHO Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne and Trauma surgeon based in the US, Dr. Dangleben, have both, from a scientific standpoint, advised Dominicans to take the vaccine.
In this segment of Zòwèy a tè (ear to the ground), Dominica News Online (DNO) went out into the streets to hear from citizens on whether or not they would take the vaccine.
A number of persons were randomly approached, here are the responses f those who were willing to speak to us.
Jason – “To be honest I will be taking the vaccine as soon as it’s available, despite its possible side effects. As an international student, I long to go back to the US to continue my study in person and I think the only way to keep myself safe is by taking the vaccine so I’ll be doing that.”
Roger – “I will not be taking the vaccine because this was too rushed. In one year they supposedly found a cure for one of the greatest pandemic but so many illnesses like cancer and aids for years these people claim to be trying can’t come up with anything. Well I will be taking my chances without the vaccine.”
Myrtle- “The only way I will be taking the vaccine is if the Prime Minister tells us from which country he is receiving the doses and as long as he and his entire cabinet take the vaccine first. This must be an open and honest process if the Prime Minister wants us to take the vaccine.”
Shannon- “I will get the Covid-19 vaccine because it is the closest thing to us returning to normal and eradicating the virus. Personally I’m fed up with using masks and having to social distance and not do the fun little things that we took for granted before. I understand that people have their concern about the vaccine but I’m more concern about the virus being around for another year.”
Moses- “Well if everyone takes the vaccine there will be no need for me to take it. I don’t trust these things or the people or the countries they are made in. These people created the virus now they want to give us something to kill what they created. Not me.”
Leandra- “We have enough local remedy in Dominica to kill corona so there is no need for the Prime Minister to get poisons to inject in us. All the local herbs and bushes these are the things we should be promoting and eating healthy, not no vaccine that will kill us faster.”
Rodney- “ I will take the vaccine once it is available but vaccines alone will not end the pandemic. People need to remain vigilant and continue to adhere to basic preventative measures like physical distancing, wearing masks and handwashing. All the activities which are being held right now are not needed because if we are not careful in Dominica we will later regret it like many other countries.”
Andrew- “I think we need to watch the effects of these vaccines on the bigger countries before we start distributing it in Dominica. As of now I will not take the vaccine but later down when we know the side effects and the manufacturers have passed their trial and error phase I would take it then.”
Jasmine- “We’re in a life threatening pandemic and the vaccine is our only defense so I will most definitely be getting my shot when it’s available.”
Mandel- “ Well in Dominica my chances of surviving Covid seem great but I don’t know about those vaccines. More studies need to be done and more information need to be out there before I sign up for the vaccine.”
“but so many illnesses like cancer and aids for years these people claim to be trying can’t come up with anything”.
@Roger, your line of reasoning, for not taking the vaccine, is extremely weak. When or where have you heard people, communities, and countries–the World itself, screening themselves to combat those illnesses or sickness that you mentioned above?
Were we born with the virus of Corvid-19? But most of us are born with cancer cells all over our human systems, which is why there is no cure, until now for that illness–it is the same as those people who were born without a certain limb or limbs–everyone will remain in their body for as long as their days were numbered–there is nothing that can be done about those certain situations up to this day.
But maybe there is a vaccine that we can use to combat Corvid-19, and if you do not yet have the virus you better take the vaccine or succumb to the wrath if that virus– your choice?
Why take a vaccine if it doesnt cure or has NO evidence of preventing the virus? Why take a vaccine for a disease that is said to be 90% curable? Why take a vaccine nd still have to wear a mask, social distance, and take other preventative measure? This isnt a vaccine. You are all guinea pigs waiting for the experiment. As far as i am concerned, the PM his family and his whole cabinet, plus the cronies can all come on stage and inject themself with whatever cocktail they choose, it can be the vaccine itself, it can be cool-aid or water for all i care. That is their business. I cannot take a vaccine, not one that doesnt do anything that a vaccine is supposed to do. Now, whats more concerning is we have new strains. Have these developed vaccines been tested against them? Im just praying that they arent recalled in a few years, with ads asking people who took it to contact a phone number to make a legal claim due to something found in the vaccines, like so many other manufactured drugs.
Vaccines aren’t meant to cure, by then it’s too late. They’re meant to prevent the disease by preconditioning your immune system to resist that specific virus. And all of the approved vaccines for COVID-19 do this with pretty high efficacy, with the exception the one from Johnson and Johnson which is only in the 60% range.
Yes, the existing vaccines are being tested against new strains of the virus. So far so good on the UK strain, so there’s that.
To suggest that Vaccines are meant to prevent the disease by preconditioning your immune system to resist that specific virus, is pseudoscience, period. I will tell you this science should never be used against nature or try and manipulate nature, it is a cruel imagination. Vaccines cannot be superior to, replace, or manipulate what is divine in the human body, the immune system. The body is not only a biological machine, it is a divine design aided and operated by a supper intelligence.
As I have said before we are now in another dark age with the medical institution as the new priesthood advisors to Governments and rulers of nations whereas the previous dark age the priesthood came from the religious institution who were the advisors. The science we have today is compromised with money and operates like a religion, the pulpit for their dogma and narrative is the Media. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouCvLp54-Fc
Without science we’d still be living in caves and trying to trap animals with our bare hands to eat them raw. There’s nothing unnatural between our use of reason to better our condition through science, that’s why God gave reason to us in the first place. And that includes the use of reason to develop medicine — remember that one of His chosen chroniclers, St. Luke, was a physician.
“Vaccines cannot be superior to, replace, or manipulate what is divine in the human body, the immune system”.
Gary, sorry my friend, but I beg to differ on your statement here. For as far as I know about “divine” it is the character of a Holy God of Spirit in the perfection of Love–I know that I am right!
This means that this state of “divinity” holds the power against everything that is fallible–the Love of the Holy God is Life for the soul of mankind–the person, who is filled with that Nature of the soul, can be immune to all sorts of disease, because that persons mind is in its renewal process, learning to respond to the things of the spirit.
Our immune system plays a vital role in our health condition, but it is not divine, in that we must be fed with the foods that will keep it healthy–all of those foods takes a physical nature, such as vitamins and minerals.
“The body is not only a biological machine, it is a divine design aided and operated by a supper intelligence” –Gary
What is this above? If the body was “divine ” why do we suffer so many illnesses and succumb to those diseases or illnesses?
Is the body able to fight against Corvid-19 without the necessary treatment? Think of the record of deaths all over the World
The human body is mortal, which is prone to perish or return to its “original state of dust” Immortality belongs in our soul–sleeping dead, or alive to the Light of “Divine Love”–the Nature of the Holy God
Our body is controlled by our “natural” or “human” senses which send their seeds to our mind for production, especially if that mind is in its complete carnal state and cannot respond to the things of the “divine” which is completely Spiritual
Our Soul is the person of the spirit in us–its food is of the divine “Light”, the Love or nature of God–“the flesh profits nothing”!
This is a pre-loaded question, as if the vaccine is equally as bad as Covid itself and we have an option to chose between the two. As someone, who had the vaccine and believes in the advancement of medical science I would chose the vaccine any time if only because it prevents me from infecting others and making a useful contribution to public life instead of becoming a burden.
Where is the opinion of the medical profession in all this??in many of these matters there is an anti science sentiment floating around ….. a sense of “where ignorance is bliss tis folly to be wise” (Thomas Gray not Shakespeare)
What is it that is of importance we have to hear the opinion of the medical profession in all this, are we not hearing the repeated narrative and dogma 24/7 unleashed through the Media, if you repeat a lie enough, people think it’s true, it is an age-old Psychological operation.
You sound like the poster boy for the Pharmaceutical Industry with your statement, quote, “in many of these matters there is an anti science sentiment floating around” Why would you think that if someone is against Vaccination they are anti science. Vaccines are harmful, it is a fact. Why is it wrong to question something that is harmful when administered to the human body. Is it not unethical and immoral for Governments to mandate something that is known to be harmful, is it wrong to question the Government actions. As to your quote about ignorance, time will decide who are the ignorant ones.
I will take a ‘wait-and-see’ stance as to the efficacy of the most effective vaccine.
However, I wish to posit this. The Roosevelt Skerrit led government’s misguided and self-serving policies are presently causing more pain and harm to Dominicans than COVID 19.
These are the IRREFUTABLE FACTS:
*joblessness is at its highest ever, many people are just merely existing
*corruption in government rampant
* political divisiveness is a key policy component to force opponents into submission
* a culture of dependency and mendicancy has been deliberately created to control the overwhelming number of indigent citizens
*foreigners are treated EXTRA-SPECIALLY well by given access to the CBI bonanza while access for bona fide Dominicans is denied.
* monopolization of the regular media
I repeat without fear of contraction. The Skerrit -led Plutocracy which suffers from incurable arrogance is an existential threat to Dominica.