Mandate vaccination will not curb COVID virus spread, says Grenadian Prime Minister

Grenadian Prime Minister – Dr Keith Mitchell thinks that mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy will not assist the island country in curbing the transmission of the deadly COVID-19 virus. 

He, therefore, noted that it is people who need to come forward and take their jabs, hence, urging the media personnel, stakeholders, and the private sector and trade unions to encourage more people as much as they can to get themselves immunised against the deadly mutant. 

He cited, “I believe that will be the best approach. People have been asking me to go to parliament and to force people (to get vaccinated). To tell you the – truth, if I thought that could work, I would do it because I have no problem with it“. 

“But I’m not convinced it will work. If anything, you might get more resistance. What do you do? Put a bunch of 5,000 people who refuse to take the vaccine, put them in jail. What’s the point? If you are going to do something, you want to do something to achieve a result.” 

Following the above statement, he highlighted that the COVID measures or guidelines should not look like he can command or force the citizens to do a specific thing. 

Highlighting the role of media in requesting the citizens to get vaccinated and follow the COVID protocols, the prime minister asserted, “I do not believe as a nation we have taken our responsibilities as serious as it is. I honestly believe the media could do a lot; if anything, some parts of the media could be said to be guilty of doing the opposite”. 

“When I listen to certain things on a certain station,s it baffles me as if we don’t realise it is not about (the ruling) NNP (New National Party), it is not about the Prime Minister, it is not even about the Opposition Leader. It is about life and death, and all of us should be on that wavelength,” he added. 

He concluded that the voices who raise questions on governments’ working and policies, where are their voices now ?, adding that he never heard any trade union leader who encouraged its workers to get themselves inoculated.