Trinidad and Tobago expands roll-out under ‘One Shot and Done’ initiative

Port of Spain: The Ministry of Health declares the expansion of the National Vaccine Deployment Programme with the implementation of the ‘One Shot and Done’ initiative for the roll-out of the Janssen (Johnson and Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine, In summation to the vaccination of inhabitants in coastal communities, the initiative will now cover the following exercises: 

• Vaccination of Prisoners and Staff in the Prison System – Inmates and staff operate in confined spaces, significantly developing their exposure to communicable diseases (e.g. Chicken Pox and Tuberculosis). To date, there have been about 320 COVID-19 positive cases from inside the prison system. The ‘One Shot and Done’ initiative will decrease the reoccurrence of a COVID-19 explosion in the prison perphery. 

On Monday 23 August, 2021 Terrence Deyalsingh – Minister of Health and Fitzgerald Ethelbert Hinds – Minister of National Security toured the Golden Grove Maximum Security Prison. Additionally present were Shamshudeen Mohammed – Deputy Commissioner of Prisons, Dr Maryam Abdool – Richards – Principal Medical Officer – Institutions and Dr Hazel Othello – Director of Mental Health, Ministry of Health. The opportunity was taken through the visit to a conversation with both prisoners and faculty regarding vaccination benefits.

• Vaccination of Healthcare Workers – The Ministry remains to prioritize its health care workers who continue a high-risk high-exposure society for catching the COVID-19 virus. To this end, health care workers are once again been prioritized to take another World Health Organization (WHO) recommended COVID-19 vaccine, to guard their patients, their families and themselves. 

• Vaccination of Frontline Workers – The ‘One Shot and Done’ initiative will also be elongated to all frontline workers crosswise Trinidad and Tobago. Special arrangements will be done to vaccinate these groups The ‘One Shot and Done’ initiative for the Janssen (Johnson and Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine serves as further speedup of the attempts of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to guard its citizens from the harmful results of the COVID-19 global pandemic.