THA Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family Development Tracy Davidson-Celestine said three new vaccination sites will be opened to boost the covid19 mass vaccination programme.

At a press conference on Thursday, Davidson-Celestine said 20,000 jabs have been administered in Tobago, “which would represent over 11,000 persons who have since received the first dose, and over 9,000 persons who have since received the second dose.”

Davidson-Celestine said the division is expanding its approach to vaccinations.

“Three sites will be coming on stream between this week and next week...in addition to the four sites we currently have."

She said the division was trying to make the vaccines relatively available to everyone who wants to be vaccinated.

She said it was considering a site in northeastern Tobago, in Mason Hall, which would also serve L’Anse Fourmi and Castara, as well as a health centre in Les Coteaux.

A drive-through arrangement, she said, is also being looked at, using a large car park.

Although pleased with progress so far, she renewed her call for those yet to be vaccinated to come forward.

She congratulated those who had already come forward, and encouraged those "who still have some reservations, who might be following the wrong information, to come forward and be vaccinated.

She said tthe research was very consistent.

"When you look the world over now, you would recognise that it is a pandemic of those persons who are not yet vaccinated and we see evidence of it in the USA, we see evidence of it in the UK and we will see evidence of it in TT, as we continue to open up the economy.”

She said when one takes the vaccine “the untoward effects (of covid19) are minimised, are reduced significantly.

"One’s chances of becoming very ill, of course, will be lower than any person who has not taken the vaccine.”

Tobago has set aside July 30 for healthcare workers and their families to be vaccinated.

“We know we still have some vaccine hesitancy in that sector," she admitted, "and we’re doing all that we can at this point in terms of educating them, in terms of setting aside a particular day for them to be vaccinated.

One of those days. she said, in addition to their being in the priority groups. would be next week Friday.”

The post THA Health Secretary: Three new vaccination sites coming appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.