Yesterday, the first three vaccines were administered to healthcare workers live in front of the entire country. That was the start of the vaccine rollout program, which started today. In the initial stage, 1,000 healthcare workers will receive the jab.
Today's Belize City recipients got it at the Central Medical Lab compound. Courtney Menzies was there and spoke to one of the first doctors to get the shot. Here is that story.
Almost two dozen healthcare workers took the first step towards immunity today when they received the first dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
They first received a routine educational briefing on the vaccine, and after that they patiently waited for their turn to eagerly get that much sought-after shot.
The Minister of Health witnessed the vaccinations at the Central Medical Lab and would later head to Cayo to see the same, in this day one of the countrywide rollout.
Hon Michel Chebat, Minister of Health and Wellness
"We have enough vials for 1000 initially for all our healthcare workers and those have been distributed throughout the country. This morning I believe here they have about 22 healthcare workers being vaccinated this morning here at the Central Health Region but simultaneously throughout the country we have vaccinations now ongoing for our healthcare workers."
"Remember when the AstraZenena coming from COVAX at the end of the month we'll give the initial 1000 dose now and then when those come in they will be able to get their second shot from that shipment."
One of the first to receive her vaccine today was Dr Aleida Pott, who was previously working at the Ladyville Health Clinic, swabbing patients with flu-like symptoms. Now she is working in the Central Health Region headquarters, but she is still at the frontline of the pandemic. But now, she can rest a bit easier knowing she had been vaccinated.
Courtney Menzies:
"So now how do you feel going back into field knowing that you've gotten at least the first dose of the vaccine?"
Dr Aleida Pott, Central Health Region
"I feel good, I know that I'm not fully protected but I am somewhat protected. A little bit of relief that I know that my family is going to be protected so I feel much better now."
And with that done, she can now continue to educate the public on the safety of the shot as a part of the Vaccine Committee. She debunked some myths today.
Dr Aleida Pott, Central Health Region
"I'm trying to educate and sensitize people on the effects of vaccines. Like I've said, to most people, yes there are myths which we are addressing. It's not a microchip being inserted into you which most people feel. And people think it's the devil, something with the devil, no it's not, it's a simple genetic material being inserted in you that will give memory to the cells that would make you have antibodies."
"We have not only the one with the chip but we also have people saying it caused infertility, which, in the clinical trials, patients have pregnant during the clinical trials, so we know that's not infertility. And also they have been saying that it's aborted fetuses material that have been inserted in us and that's not the case. So right now I'm feeling good, I have no side effects, I'm literally hungry right now actually, but nothing of any sort."
And while another common concern is the fact that the vaccine has trace amounts of the virus in it, Dr Pott says that's just how vaccines work.
Dr Aleida Pott, Central Health Region
"It's an inactive material inserted in us but it also makes us generate antibodies so that we can develop the immunity. AstraZeneca is the vector vaccine that anybody can go and research it, the vector vaccine, so they can do research and there is no type of material there that would cause us to get severe illness."
The second dose should be administered within the next 12 weeks, according to Minister Chebat. In time, all 5,000 healthcare workers in Belize will get their own turn.
