COVID has set Countries back 30 Years, TCI says local Immunization programs are ‘good’

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, March 29, 2022 – Several Nations across Latin America and the Caribbean are seeing resurgence of diseases once firmly under control through vaccination, among them: measles, but according to the Minister of Health, this is not the case for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

“We are good, we have maintained our childhood vaccine program and are keeping an eye on things as some other countries have seen a resurgence due to disruptions in their immunization programs because of the pandemic,” Jamell Robinson, Health Minister told Magnetic Media.

Robinson is right, reports out of Jamaica from Radio Jamaica News indicate that the country has fallen behind on routine vaccinations because of COVID but the Ministry of Health and Wellness for Jamaica has given assurances, “it’s not too late to catch up.”

The Pan American Health Organization, last Wednesday renewed its call for countries to ramp-up routine vaccination.

Dr. Jarvis Barbosa, PAHO Assistant Director explained that in a mere two years the Americas have regressed three decades. He said, vaccination levels are now as low as they were in 1994 for measles and polio. Brazil has had several outbreaks of measles.

Barbosa encouraged countries to continue their national vaccination programs saying PAHOs revolving fund would assist if necessary.