And erroneous results while tracing COVID variants would certainly be a disaster for Belize.
That's because at approx 85,000 with two shots of the vaccine, we haven't even managed to vaccinate a quarter of our population.
We asked the Minister about it today and whether he considers the vaccine roll-lout a fail - especially in hard hit Belize City.
Cherisse Halsall:
"The vaccine campaign, many have called it a failure, it was a one size fits all thing and again it's failed in certain areas especially the southside, G.O.B. has been using mainly fear and force to encourage taking the vaccine but they need to mold it to fit those communities who are asking authorities to come to their areas, I heard an argument yesterday, that when it comes to the election you guys appeal to everyone, you get everyone to vote for you but with the vaccine, you weren't as successful."
Hon. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health and Wellness
"Well I beg to differ with you we have now 95,000 people who are fully vaccinated, we have over 180,000 with a first dose, and so I agree that perhaps we need to re-look and revitalize the vaccination campaign and look at other strategies, I can tell you that starting next week we are going to be coming out into the southside, we are reaching to all of our area representatives across the country, to use their machinery to help us to get those persons who have not yet come out and so you're going to see a change in the approach we take, starting next week."
Cherisse Halsall:
"And just as a follow up to that Sir if someone had asked you in December if at this point less than a quarter of the population would be vaccinated would you have believed it back then."
Hon. Michel Chebat
"You know, remember where we started, we started with 1000 vaccines back in March, so that vaccines were not readily available at the very inception of this it was not until June when with got our 100,00 vaccines through Mexico that we were really able to open up for everybody and so between June and now we've done excellently. Clearly, we want more people to be vaccinated, we keep on saying vaccination is the only solution and so we keep on encouraging people to come out and get vaccinated."
