And - indeed it is a daily fight against a spreading third wave - and - from a public health perspective - the only tool available to stem the tide is the vaccine.
Starting on Monday, the Pfizer vaccine will be available to students ages 12 to 17. The minister encouraged parents to get their children vaccinated to ensure their safety, but for those parents whose children are under 12 years old, well, they'll just have to wait it out for now. That's why the prime minister is asking the unvaccinated teachers to get their jab to protect the younger students.
Hon. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health
"We're trying to use our gymnasiums at the different schools so that kids don't have to have that impression of going to hospitals, we want it to be more accessible and easier for them so starting Monday the vaccines will be applied throughout the country."
"We're hoping that pretty soon there's going to be approval for children between the ages of 5 to 11 but up until now, from 12 to 17, that's what the approval is for."
"I keep on saying that let us look at what the effect of the vaccine has had on our population, we have had over 150,000 people vaccinated, we have not had one death in Belize, so look at the evidence and let's go by the evidence, the vaccines save lives, the vaccines will save the lives of our children, it will save the lives of our loved ones so I'm imploring all Belizeans to let's get out and get vaccinated."
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"That is why it is important for the teachers to get vaccinated, because if the teachers are vaccinated when they go to the primary schools, they have to protect the children, so I know that, I think the last report about 80% of teachers have been vaccinated and I want to commend them but I want to encourage that 20% to get vaccinated."
