Westmoreland’s Doubting Thomases worry vaccine campaigners
Published:Wednesday | August 25, 2021 | 12:10 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Ginger, garlic, bird pepper. Washing money with bleach and water.
That’s the sum total of the immunity or resistance summoned by many residents in Westmoreland, a parish haunted by a rash of coronavirus deaths but where vaccine hesitancy remains high.
A 60-year-old shopkeeper in Little London named Paulette is currently being treated for blood clots in her legs and expressed uncertainty about getting the jab.
“What I need is for a doctor to run a test on me and then tell me if can take it or not. If they want to give people vaccine, they need to come in the community with a doctor who can examine the people and then administer the vaccine on their instructions,” she said.
Though citing her medical condition as an inhibiting factor for getting her shot, Paulette has not explained why she hasn’t sought advice from a physician since Jamaica began administering COVID-19 vaccines in March.
Instead, she finds solace in hygiene practices – “I wash all monies that I collect from customers with bleach and water” – as a shield against the virus.
Albert Vassell, a 63-year-old farmer of Bay Road, also in Little London, said he has lost several friends to the virus but is satisfied with the measures instituted by the Government to control the outbreak.
“I have lost a lot of good friends all because of COVID,” said Vassell, who declined to discuss whether he has taken any of the three coronavirus vaccines here or support their use.
Two women, who refused to give their names but stated that they are in their 30s, also admitted to losing friends and relatives to the virus but were adamant that they would not take the jab.
Ian Myles, councillor for the Little London division in the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation, said although vaccine hesitancy is high, the spate of recent deaths appears to have changed the minds of some persons.
“There is an atmosphere of fear and trepidation as we speak among the citizens. We have seen where a lot of persons are now running to the vaccination sites,” said Myles.
At the latest count on Monday, Westmoreland had 68 new cases out of 752 recorded nationally. The parish also accounted for one of the 15 new deaths between August 18 and August 22.
The total number of active cases in the parish stands at 3,723.