Dear Editor,
Permit me the space to vent my concern with the latest trending topic in Guyana.
Should vaccines be mandatory for incoming travelers, should there be a vaccination passport among other issues surrounding Covid-19 in the Land of Many Waters.
While we see studies suggesting that vaccines may help us in fighting off the virus we are still at risk of contracting Covid-19.
Only accepting travellers with vaccinations is a good and bad thing. It is almost like discriminating against those without as well as which vaccines will we accept? When we only secured three types of vaccines, will we just accept persons who got the Pfizer etc?
Workplace Covid-19 vaccination passport, what information will be placed in this passport? Will we discriminate against those that have the democratic right to choose against not taking the jab? Will a penalty be imposed? Will they be fired for not taking the jab? Vaccines help but how much do they help when our Covid-19 protocols and enforcement are lacking. I am not an anti-vaxxer as I took both doses of the Sputnik V and my entire family is fully vaccinated because we understand vaccines do help, but we are still concerned for those with a choice. Everyone should be able to make the choices they want to. Getting persons vaccinated seems to be the priority of the Government but we can all be vaccinated and probably still get Covid-19 such as the case of the health minister of the UK( https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-health-minister-javid-tests-positive-covid-19-2021-07-17/).
There are questions the public would need answered such as do we have mutations of the virus in Guyana and if yes what are they? What are we doing to ensure these cases decline?
In closing, I believe persons should have the right to choose what they want to and should not be penalized for it. Sufficient consideration and consultation must be allowed before any decision is made regarding any sort of mandatory vaccination mechanism being put in place for Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Tanya Niamatali
