Dear Editor,

As Jamaica rolls out its COVID-19 vaccination programme, is it still acceptable to ask a few questions or should we engage in group think in order to get along?

There are some questions that need to be answered:

* Do we actually need a vaccine? I do not mean to be facetious, but this question needs to be answered. Why do we need a vaccine for a disease that has a survival rate of 99.80 per cent? The survival rate of COVID-19 is greater than that of most types of cancer.

* Why are we not using available and effective drugs to fight COVID-19? The World Health Organization (WHO) seems to be reluctant to give its blessings to Ivermectin, which reportedly reduces related deaths and hospitalisations by some 75 per cent. This behaviour by WHO is questionable. If there is a drug which is this effective against COVID-19, then why is the approval process being slowed? Is it because an effective drug will limit the financial gains expected from vaccines?

* Who does WHO report to? WHO’s communications and financial records should be urgently analysed as the health of individuals does not seem to be its primary concern.

Jamaica’s Ministry of Health is taking too long to give an answer to the importation of Ivermectin. The Ministry of Health is answerable to people of Jamaica and not the WHO. Are we expected to believe that a medication that has been available for over 50 years is not completely safe; yet, vaccines that have been developed in a year or less are safe?

* Where is the proof that drastic lockdowns prevent or even slow down the spread of COVID-19? Norway did not engage in drastic lockdowns and its policy seem to be having a more positive impact than those countries which implemented a “prison-like situation” for its citizens. This is one area that the Andrew Holness-led Administration should be commended for, as it did not succumb to extreme pressure to shut down the entire country. It instead has been trying to balance the health of individuals and their economic well-being. For the people calling for a lockdown, please explain if mortgages, rental fees, or taxes will be locked down as well.

* Will the vaccine ever prevent us from getting COVID-19? The vaccines I got as a child were marketed as being able to prevent someone from getting a particular disease. This is a simple question and should be answered as quickly as possible. If the answer is no, then what is the purpose of the vaccine? Some in the medical community say the vaccines prevent prolonged illness from the virus, but can’t we obtain this from drugs which are less invasive and are already on the market?

I encourage the Holness Administration to put the interests of the citizens of Jamaica first before the questionable mandates of the WHO and others.

Marsha Thomas

marshburns@hotmail.com