Shouting through their masks “Our body! Our choice!” and “No to mandatory vaccination,” scores of persons yesterday protested government’s COVID-19 vaccination policy which requires those seeking walk-in services at state agencies to show proof of inoculation.
Just around noon yesterday, protestors congregated at the Square of Revolution in Georgetown, and marched through the streets of Mackenzie and Wismar in Linden, calling for the PPP/C government to reverse the measures.
At the Square of the Revolution, the protestors were joined by APNU+AFC Members of Parliament Christopher Jones, Coretta Mc Donald, and Natasha Singh.
Meanwhile, a group of approximately eight persons including Working People’s Alliance activist Kidackie Amsterdam were arrested by lawmen after they decided to move the protest to the Ministry of Education at Austin Place and Brickdam, Georgetown.
Divisional Commander Simon McBean explained that the group was acting illegally as they were not permitted nor did they seek permission for a procession in front of the Ministry of Education. The persons arrested remain in police custody, he said. They were about to protest the Ministry’s summoning of police ranks to escort a staff member from the personnel department but the protest would have been in vain since the employee left “voluntarily”.
At the protest, persons said that they are standing up to government’s “bullyism” which requires that they
produce vaccination cards before accessing service from public agencies and ministries. Teachers who also gathered at the protest said they are not in support of the Ministry of Education’s policy of forcing them to be vaccinated.
Throughout the demonstration, the crowd of about 150 persons said that the government should respect their choice to not be vaccinated. Some opined that access to information that will enable them to decide on which vaccine they should choose is limited and called for educational outreaches across the country to inform the public.
In some sections of the protest, persons spoke of incidents they have seen on social media after persons had taken the vaccine. “They are not telling us the truth!” one woman said as another pointed out that there is a double standard on policies implemented by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education.
Activist and well-known comedienne Odessa Primus, who was present at the demonstration, accused the government of creating the environment and conditions to cause students and teachers to stay away from schools and facilitate learning.
She argued that a softer approach needs to be taken to ensure everyone is treated equally as no one should be forced to decide what goes into their body.
“When you send home all the teachers, who don’t want to be vaccinated, what is happening with my children? You cannot stand up and say that you are a government that cares about the people and you thinking to send home teachers,” she contended.
Creative arts
Furthermore, she called on the government to engage persons in the creative arts to get the educational messages across. She also reminded that Guyana is a country with persons of different educational backgrounds and as such, different avenues must be explored to get the message across.
She argued that the televised programme, “Your Doctor and COVID” hosted by Dr Mahendra Carpen does not fulfill the mandate of informing persons from different backgrounds on the virus.
“… We have this doctor talking about COVID but he is speaking from a level of education and what he is saying can only reach a certain [demographic]. No matter how eloquent the persons is, only a certain level will understand, you have to meet people where they are and not where you are,” she declared.
Primus explained that while she and many others she knows are taking the dangers of COVID-19 seriously, she said persons should not be bullied and forced measures should not be used to get persons vaccinated.
“We need a softer approach… it is not about being a bully. If you say do this, persons will ask you why and a lot will put up a resistance. It is about time we move from the bully game, it will not work and that defeats the purpose of the fight against COVID-19,” she emphasised.
A teacher from the David Rose Special Needs School who requested not to be named, said that she was not against vaccination but was against persons being forced to be vaccinated in order to keep their jobs.
The woman said that during last year, it had been difficult to engage students, and teachers were forced to find means of getting school work to the children. While she foresees it being easier with face-to-face learning, she explained that persons should still have the right to choose to be inoculated.
“For me, its two things, one the vaccine is still in a young stage and I am not ready to take it, and two, why are you forcing me to take this, God gave a choice with good over evil so why am I being forced to take something I am not ready for,” she lamented.
APNU+AFC MP Natasha Singh called for a comprehensive educational campaign to be rolled out across the country.
She stated that while the Ministry of Health boasts of having coverage across the regions, the information does not always get to persons in riverine and hinterland communities. She suggested that the ministry reexamines its campaign strategy, and like Primus, she recommended that the creative sector be engaged in getting the message out.
Singh stressed further that many persons remain hesitant to take the vaccine due to the coercive approach, a move she said is trampling on the rights of Guyanese.
Nerssie Narine, a mother of four, who was a part of the protest said she was there protesting the measures because they are not only asking her to take the vaccine, but to make a decision for her children.
My choice
“It is my body, my choice,” she said as she explained that she is not fully convinced that the vaccine is effective against the COVID-19 virus.
The woman stated that that while she remains uncertain over the need for the vaccine she is now being forced to give her consent for her children to be vaccinated before they can return to school. The Ministry of Education has said it is not compulsory for students to be vaccinated.
“…You are hearing so many things, you don’t know what COVID-19 vaccine, they are not available for you to ask questions they are just telling you to take the vaccines, I am against that,” she said.
The woman noted they should consider community outreaches to inform people of the pros and cons of the different vaccines and let them decide if they want it or not.
She suggested that children should be screened for health issues in advance of being administered the vaccine.
“My daughter is sickly, what if something happens to her after she receives the vaccine. There is no one to be blamed, I gave consent so I remain responsible, and that doesn’t seem fair…” the mother related.
With the arrival of the 146,250 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, Education Minister, Priya Manickchand assured that the government is not making the vaccination of children a precondition to enter schools, however, they are encouraging parents to give that consent.
“We don’t think school doors should ever be closed to anyone who wants to walk through them, but that’s a philosophy that’s good for when everything is perfect. We are not in a perfect place right now but we have not said and we are not prepared at this stage to say that unvaccinated children, if they want to access education will be disallowed from accessing education,” Manickchand told the press conference.
Under new policies for the re-opening of schools, teachers are asked to be vaccinated; if they choose not to be vaccinated they are required to produce a negative PCR test weekly.
Over in Linden, Region 10, which has the lowest inoculation rate in the country, similar views were related as persons marched through the town.
Just a few weeks ago, protestors blocked the Wismar/Mackenzie Bridge as they called for the removal of the requirement of vaccination cards to access public services.
The protest action by Lindeners came after unvaccinated nurses and doctors reporting for duty as well as members of the public seeking medical attention were locked out of the Linden Hospital Complex.
Government agencies have been requiring persons to produce proof of vaccination before being allowed into public buildings. Transportation service operators under the recently updated emergency measures were also required to be vaccinated and at all times have proof of vaccination on their person.
Additionally, members of the public who wish to visit a ministry or a government agency for services and chose not to be vaccinated were required to make an appointment. Several ministries have also sent out memoranda encouraging vaccination and informing staff that if they are unvaccinated they would have to provide a negative PCR test before they can be allowed to work.
