WHO official pleads with Caribbean islanders to 'wake up and get vaccinated

August 13, 2021: -On Wednesday, a top World Health Organization official pleaded with people in the Caribbean to get vaccinated, which says that the islands had limited ICU beds.

Dr. Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization, the regional branch of WHO in Latin America, said the abundance of vaccine misinformation in the island region makes people hesitant to get the doses.

“I want to announce a special appeal to my fellow Caribbean persons please, we have to be careful,” Etienne said.

“We have limited bed capacity and limited ICU capacity in the islands. Our health systems will be overwhelmed very quickly,” Etienne added.

The health systems there quickly become overburdened if more people don’t get vaccinated, she added, noting that misinformation has spread all over the islands.

She said the decision not to get vaccinated is “foolhardy” when hospital capacity is limited.

“We are playing with our lives. So my appeal is, get up, wake up from that slumber, waking from that dream due to we know that the vaccines are safe,” Etienne added.

“I don’t know the sources of the information that is triggering this level of vaccine hesitancy. I can tell you that is not proven scientifically, and I want to appeal to you to listen to the sources where you have truthful information and evidence-based on science,” Etienne said.

Some rare side effects from the vaccines usually occur within a few weeks of immunization. Etienne added that the side effects are being closely monitored by scientists “nationally, regionally and globally,” and actions are taken if concerns increase. Every medication you take has side effects, “and you don’t question them there,” Etienne said.

“So kindly take your vaccines and please wear your mask properly and social distance,” Etienne said.

Etienne said that even after the cultural inclination to assemble, people should maintain social distance, wash their hands, and observe “respiratory etiquette.”