Basseterre, St. Kitts: The Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Health is holding a series of vaccination consultation workshops for its employees to educate them on the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccines, its importance, the benefits of being inoculated, as well as to clarify any misunderstanding and quell any fears about being inoculated.
The workshops began in each school zone from Monday, March 29 and will conclude on Thursday, April 01.
Mr. William Vincent Hodge, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, expressed that he hopes that as a nation, we can complete the school year without having to physically close again due to COVID-19. He stated that the session is to provide a forum in which employees can engage in discussion about the vaccination.
“We were mandated to organise these sessions to provide our employees with the opportunity to ask questions about the vaccine that is being administered to us here in the Federation”, he said.
Teachers were encouraged to get inoculated as it demonstrates civic responsibility.
“Taking the vaccine is your personal decision your personal responsibility. We are not legislating that people should take the vaccine but we are encouraging. Taking the vaccine helps to provide protection for youngsters,” continued Mr. Hodge.
Dr. Dwayne Archibald, Medical Doctor at the Joseph N. France Hospital and facilitator at the session held a Cayon Primary School also encouraged participants to get inoculated.
“Taking the vaccine is not just a personal decision, you have to recognise that you have to protect those around you and protecting your family, you are protecting your loved ones and you are helping the Federation to get back to some form of normalcy,” he said.
The COVID-19 inoculation drive started in the Federation on February 22. The government is hoping to get at least 70% of the residents inoculated to achieve herd immunity and to reopen the country’s borders.
