Minister Terrence Deyalsingh defends Trinidad and Tobago’s COVID-19 Vaccine program against Opposition claims

Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh issued a statement on the 12th of September of 2024 in response to allegations of “fake vaccines” being administered during COVID-19 pandemic.

Recently, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar accused the government of administering fake vaccines to hundreds of thousands of citizens, which Deyalsingh called ‘an unprovoked and inflammatory attack’.

Minister Terrence Deyalsingh’s statement highlighted the key factors:

Defamatory Allegations against the Health Workers

Deyalsingh, in reaction to the seriousness of the accusation by Persad-Bissessar, went further to argue that to accuse health workers like doctors, nurses, and health professionals of being part of a conspiracy questioned their professional integrity and disregarded their commitment to saving public health. He labelled the accusations as “an affront to the entire public and private health sector.”

Politicization and Misinformation

The Minister went on to condemn what he called a pattern of misinformation by the opposition during the pandemic.

He made specific references to several incidents where members of the opposition, including Persad-Bissessar herself, promoted unscientific remedies.

At one point, for instance, Persad-Bissessar declared that “sunlight can kill COVID-19,” and Opposition Senator Wade Mark suggested that “puncheon and lime”, a local rum and citrus-can fight the virus.

Furthermore, Opposition Member Roodal Moonilal has accused the government of using citizens as “guinea pigs” for the distribution of the Sinopharm vaccine.

Deyalsingh believes that such misinformation erodes confidence in the public healthcare system. The fear of that kind prolongs and can be perpetual within the psyche of citizens. He added that there is no constructive purpose served by politicizing public health issues, especially during a global pandemic, and can have lasting consequences on the nation’s overall health.

Support for Healthcare Professionals

Throughout the statement, the Health Minister also came out in defence of the healthcare workers who have been on the frontline in the management of the pandemic.

He reiterated that he is “saddened” by the sustained attack on public sector workers, especially those in the medical fraternity, who have no platform to defend themselves against political criticisms.

Deyalsingh referred to them as professionals whose exemplary service was essentially guided by scientific acumen. He urged that more respect and appreciation were called for, concerning their work.

Legislative Affirmation of COVID-19 Response

To support the government’s pandemic response, Deyalsingh referred to a judgment of the Privy Council, the highest court for Trinidad and Tobago.

The Privy Council, in the case ‘Dominic Suraj and others vs. the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago’, provided a ruling to the effect that all COVID-19 measures instituted by the government, be they social distancing or limits set to congregation, were based upon scientific expert advice and such actions were not only necessary but consistent with international standards embraced by other democratic countries.

Vaccine Safety Assurance

The Minister further assured the public that “all the vaccines used in Trinidad and Tobago were approved and cleared by the WHO, those being Sinopharm, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson.”

He iterated that those vaccinations saved lives. The country recorded 4,444 COVID-19-related deaths, of which 89.1% were unvaccinated individuals, showing statistics prove for the vaccines’ effectiveness.

Call for Retraction

Deyalsingh concluded by calling for Kamla Persad-Bissessar to withdraw the accusation. He went further to say that the effect of such unsubstantiated claims was to undermine public trust within the healthcare system and tarnish the good reputation of Trinidad and Tobago internationally.

The Minister reiterated his commitment to making evidence-based decisions in collaboration with medical experts, pledging to continue acting with the highest integrity in the execution of duties as Minister of Health.

In his last comments, while questioning Persad-Bissessar, included that she should stop telling ‘nonsense’ to the population of the country because with the right to freedom of speech comes a responsibility to speak about the truth, particularly concerning key issues such as health services.