University of The Bahamas (UB) announces the appointment of Mrs. Vochelle Ferguson as Vice President, Human Resources (HR), with effect 1st June 2021. A UB alumna, Mrs. Ferguson has many years of human resources experience.

As VP of HR Mrs. Ferguson will be primarily responsible for providing creative vision, inspired leadership, and strategic management for all human resources functions in support of the University’s mission and strategic plan. She will also provide leadership in setting goals and analyzing ways to raise standards, increase quality of efforts, and improve overall performance of the human resources functions at UB.

Mrs. Ferguson earned an Associate of Science degree in Computer Data Processing from the College of The Bahamas; a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Information Systems from Lee University, Tennessee, USA; and a Master of Business Administration degree, as well as a Master of Science degree in Human Resources, from Nova Southeastern University. She has also earned certifications in several areas; including management, business, leadership, and human resources.

Over the course of her career as a human resources professional, Mrs. Ferguson has been instrumental in the implementation of human resources information systems to enhance HR functions; including, leave management, performance management, payroll, learning and development, benefits, time reporting, recruitment, and others.

Mrs. Ferguson has served as an Adjunct Professor of Human Resources at Southern College, and most recently was an Adjunct Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the undergraduate level, and Human Resources at the graduate level, at the University of the West Indies (Mona Campus).

Mrs. Ferguson enjoys working with internal colleagues and external customers, and is driven to make a difference in the lives of others. She is a firm believer in caring for and giving to others and strives to demonstrate these qualities on a daily basis. She is poised to be the best version of herself supported by her husband, Perry Ferguson and her two wonderful children, Perron and Janae.

Continuing in our discussion on COVID vaccination and our children, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines an adverse drug reaction as "any response to a drug which is noxious and unintended, and which occurs at doses normally used in man for prophylaxis, diagnosis, or therapy of disease, or for the modification of physiological function."

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) categorizes an adverse event as “any undesirable experience associated with the use of a medical product in a patient.” The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), Europe’s EudraVigilance system and the UK’s Yellow Card Reporting System, are among the world’s major tracking systems for suspected adverse events associated with medicines and medical devices. All platforms point out that a reported adverse event does not necessarily mean the event was caused by the medicine or substance used, but the systems are key mechanisms that enable regulators and officials to track trends, and be quickly alerted to potential problems. EudraVigilance advises, “Before a medicine is marketed, information on its safety and efficacy is based on use of the medicine in clinical trials. However, clinical trials may not be able to detect all side effects, as they involve limited numbers of patients. “Also, some side effects may take a long time to develop, and only occur after the clinical trial is finished. Often (but not always), people taking part in clinical trials are healthy or do not have other diseases or do not normally take other medicines. This is not the situation when the medicine is used in real life. “Continuous monitoring after the clinical trial is therefore essential, to maintain a comprehensive safety and effectiveness profile of the medicine.” As of May 29, 198,678 cases of adverse reactions to the Pfizer vaccine were reported to EudraVigilance, the majority of which were reported by healthcare professionals. The adverse reactions run the gamut of categories including disorders of the cardiac, vascular, respiratory, thoracic, reproductive, immune and nervous systems, as well as disorders of the blood and lymphatic systems.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) categorizes an adverse event as “any undesirable experience associated with the use of a medical product in a patient.”

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), Europe’s EudraVigilance system and the UK’s Yellow Card Reporting System, are among the world’s major tracking systems for suspected adverse events associated with medicines and medical devices.

All platforms point out that a reported adverse event does not necessarily mean the event was caused by the medicine or substance used, but the systems are key mechanisms that enable regulators and officials to track trends, and be quickly alerted to potential problems.

EudraVigilance advises, “Before a medicine is marketed, information on its safety and efficacy is based on use of the medicine in clinical trials. However, clinical trials may not be able to detect all side effects, as they involve limited numbers of patients.

“Also, some side effects may take a long time to develop, and only occur after the clinical trial is finished. Often (but not always), people taking part in clinical trials are healthy or do not have other diseases or do not normally take other medicines. This is not the situation when the medicine is used in real life.

“Continuous monitoring after the clinical trial is therefore essential, to maintain a comprehensive safety and effectiveness profile of the medicine.”

As of May 29, 198,678 cases of adverse reactions to the Pfizer vaccine were reported to EudraVigilance, the majority of which were reported by healthcare professionals.

The adverse reactions run the gamut of categories including disorders of the cardiac, vascular, respiratory, thoracic, reproductive, immune and nervous systems, as well as disorders of the blood and lymphatic systems.

Atlantis joins the list of companies removing the provision of complimentary testing for staff in favor of their workers becoming fully vaccinated, leaving the financial burden of weekly testing in the hands of those staff members who choose not to vaccinate, the resort revealed in a letter to their staff. 

The letter, which was seen by Guardian Business, suggests that vaccination is the best health and safety course for the well-being of staff and hotel guests. “As the country opens its borders and begins to welcome more and more guests to our shores, our resort must be a safe and healthy environment for you and for those who make our business succeed,” the letter states. “The Ministry of Health and those who have cared for us during this pandemic continue to offer free vaccinations to all Bahamians and residents. Many of you are already fully vaccinated or are waiting for your second shot. Those team members who are fully vaccinated, plus 14 days ,will no longer have to test weekly. “Team members who are fully vaccinated and have provided proof of vaccination to the health and safety and human resources division, will be exempted from weekly testing, but will still be required to complete the daily screener to gain entry to the property.” Atlantis’ new policy does not come into force until September, leaving some time for staff members to become fully vaccinated, given that the second vaccine shot must be taken seven weeks or more after the first. Those who have received their second shot and have passed a subsequent 14-day period are considered fully vaccinated. Atlantis is leaving the option in place for its staff to continue to benefit from its relationship with Doctors Hospital for testing for those who do not vaccinate, but at their own expense. “Those who are not fully vaccinated (plus 14 days) and are continuing to test weekly with the COVID-19 rapid antigen test to gain access to the property, will be responsible for paying for their own test at Doctors Hospital, effective September 1, 2021,” Atlantis stated.

The letter, which was seen by Guardian Business, suggests that vaccination is the best health and safety course for the well-being of staff and hotel guests.

“As the country opens its borders and begins to welcome more and more guests to our shores, our resort must be a safe and healthy environment for you and for those who make our business succeed,” the letter states.

“The Ministry of Health and those who have cared for us during this pandemic continue to offer free vaccinations to all Bahamians and residents. Many of you are already fully vaccinated or are waiting for your second shot. Those team members who are fully vaccinated, plus 14 days ,will no longer have to test weekly.

“Team members who are fully vaccinated and have provided proof of vaccination to the health and safety and human resources division, will be exempted from weekly testing, but will still be required to complete the daily screener to gain entry to the property.”

Atlantis’ new policy does not come into force until September, leaving some time for staff members to become fully vaccinated, given that the second vaccine shot must be taken seven weeks or more after the first.

Those who have received their second shot and have passed a subsequent 14-day period are considered fully vaccinated.

Atlantis is leaving the option in place for its staff to continue to benefit from its relationship with Doctors Hospital for testing for those who do not vaccinate, but at their own expense.

“Those who are not fully vaccinated (plus 14 days) and are continuing to test weekly with the COVID-19 rapid antigen test to gain access to the property, will be responsible for paying for their own test at Doctors Hospital, effective September 1, 2021,” Atlantis stated.

 

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st through November 30th.