Member of Parliament for Barbuda Trevor Walker says the government failed to put a proper plan in place to reserve sufficient Pfizer vaccines for eligible students.
Based on approval from the cabinet, vaccinated and unvaccinated 4th and 5th formers as well as grade sixers were allowed to return to school as of October 18.
The rationale for allowing the unvaccinated students to return to the classroom was based on the unavailability of Pfizer vaccines to inoculate them.
“If it is that you know and you have decided that school children must be vaccinated but you are going to allow both vaccinated and unvaccinated students to go to school and the rationale is at this time there is not enough Pfizer vaccine and they have to wait until the shipment arises. Mr Speaker, I ask myself what type of incoherent planning is this. If you know this is going to be your policy you ought to put things in place to ensure that those Pfizer vaccines you receive, instead of offering to adults you would have reserved the amount, making necessary preparation.” Walker stated in Parliament.
Walker was debating on the Education Amendment Bill 2021, to allow for mandatory COVID vaccine for teachers and students on October 19.
In August the country received a shipment of 17,600 Pfizer vaccines which according to health officials were prioritized for eligible school children which are approximately 8,000.
However, at the start of October, the Ministry of Health announced that only second doses of Pfizer vaccines would be administered amid a shortage.
The government recently received 5,000 doses of that vaccine from Dominica and is anticipating a shipment from the US government.
