🌎 Some people have not gotten vaccinated because they no longer see COVID as a risk to themselves.
Yet the spread and death toll of Omicron 🦠 have shown that underestimating this virus only fuels the pandemic and leads to more suffering.
🌎 But some want more information.
They have questions on potential side effects, or on how long the benefits of the vaccine last. These are legitimate questions that must be acknowledged and addressed.
🌎 In one PAHO study published in the @TheLancet, we found that the vast majority of health workers are eager to use the vaccine to protect themselves and are doing all they can to reach as many people as possible 🩹
🌎 In some countries, vaccination centers are located in central areas, which may be far from the people who need them the most.
Also, some countries are short-staffed, with doctors and nurses experiencing severe burn-out.
🌎 In fact, out of 13 countries and territories in the Americas that have not yet reached WHO’s goal of 40% coverage, 10 are in the Caribbean.
Because of this, today the Caribbean remains especially vulnerable to COVID.
🌎 While 91% of people in the Cayman Islands have been fully vaccinated, fewer than 1% of Haitians have received all their doses.
🌎 I want to give a specific update on an area that remains especially vulnerable to COVID – my home, the Caribbean.
The Caribbean is home to over 44 million people. It’s a diverse part of our region, with many inequalities, that has struggled during the pandemic.
🌎 These trends show that many places are still in the midst of the Omicron surge 🦠, so we must stay vigilant and uphold the measures proven to save lives.
🌎 Although new cases dropped across the Caribbean by 44%, more than half of the 13 countries and territories that reported increases in deaths in our region were in the Caribbean.
🌎 Although cases dropped by a third across North America, Mexico reported a 70% increase in new infections 🦠
And while deaths declined in the United States, these rates are still among the highest we’ve seen throughout the pandemic.
