The Bahamas received 23,760 doses of the Pfizer Vaccine from the United States government to augment the country’s vaccination programme in the continued fight against COVID-19.  

A handover ceremony took place after the vaccines landed onboard IBC Airways at Lynden Pindling International Airport on Thursday, March 9, 2023.

And for the first time, the bivalent vaccine is in The Bahamas; a total of 12,960 doses. It is authorized for use as single booster dose in children 6 months through 5 years of age.  The remaining 10,800 Pfizer vaccines are for adults.

This represents over 319,410 doses donated by the U.S. Government to The Bahamas, to date.
 Present at the airport ceremony were: The Hon. Dr. Michael Darville, Minister of Health and Wellness; Dr. Pearl McMillan, Chief Medical Officer; Dr. Phillip Swann, Registrar; Jason Crosby, Acting Charge’ d Affaires, U.S. Embassy, Nassau; and other officials.

Dr. Darville thanked the American Government, through its Nassau Embassy for the “wonderful gift” to The Bahamas. “We are pleased to have the vaccines in country and we know that they will go a long way.”

He said it is the Ministry of Health and Wellness drive to get as many people as possible, in the country vaccinated.

“What is so interesting about this particular donation is that for the first time in the country, we will get the bivalent vaccine which incorporates some components of the Omicron along with the other groups affiliated with the vaccines,” Dr. Darville said.

In this vein he encouraged the public to continue getting vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

“We are still in the COVID-19 pandemic according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and it is our responsibility as a government to make sure that our clinics and our facilities have vaccines so that Bahamians who are expressing interest to be vaccinated, will have the opportunity to do so.”

Dr. Darville acknowledged the U.S Government for its ongoing support of The Bahamas’ vaccination programme, and that of many other initiatives between both countries.

Mr. Crosby said: “We are excited to have another opportunity to share lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines with The Bahamas.”

He observed that vaccines are the best tool the world has to fight the  COVID-19 virus.  Hence, the donation to The Bahamas.

United States President Joe Biden has committed to donating 1.2 billlion doses globally, which represents the largest commitment of any single country or group of countries in the world.

“The path forward in the pandemic will require doubling down on our commitment to help vaccinate the globe and to save lives by making tests, treatments, and PPE widely available,” Mr. Crosby said. He thanked the Bahamas Government for its continued collaboration in these efforts.

Dr. Darville further explained that the bivalent vaccine is a modern immunization, which has more capabilities to address the various strains, and works well as a booster. And, he encouraged Bahamians to take the vaccine, as there have been questions regarding its arrival in country.

“Fortunately for us, we have about 12,960 dozes of the bivalent vaccine – a Pfizer vaccine which is very modern. It is very much in demand worldwide and for the first time it’s in the country,” he said.

Referring to a recent cluster infection on the Island of Exuma, Dr. Darville said that the country is still experiencing cases of COVID-19.  “Our surveillance unit is very well trained and we address these issues as they come forth,” he said.

To the relaxation of COVID-19 protocols – wearing of masks, hand sanitization and social distancing, Dr. Darville said it is a global phenomenon and that there are very few countries where such measures still exist.  “But The Bahamas is moving on, even though we have a pandemic. We must ensure that our tourism sector not only survives but grows, and we must make sure we get people back to work,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bahamians are being urged to practice safety protocols, be mindful of others if suffering from upper respiratory tract infection, and to respect those who decide to wear masks.

 “There is vaccination hesitancy in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas which is reflective throughout the region. With that being said, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that individuals who want to be vaccinated, that the vaccines are here,” he said.

And, as the United States is regarded as a strategic partner Dr. Darville said The Bahamas is pleased for the continuous support.  “So for us, we are thankful that we have the bivalent and the ordinary Pfizer doses and we intend to continue our vaccination campaign throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

“The more people are vaccinated, the less burden it becomes on our hospitals and tertiary healthcare facilities simply because the facts are clear. Individuals who are not vaccinated are more likely to be hospitalized if they have any precursors as well as any issues with COVID-19.  And for that reason, our vaccination programme continues,” Dr. Darville said.

The Bahamas received 23,760 doses of the Pfizer Vaccine from the United States government to augment the country’s vaccination programme in the continued fight against COVID-19.   A handover ceremony took place after the vaccines landed onboard IBC Airways at Lynden Pindling International Airport on Thursday, March 9, 2023. And for the first time, the bivalent vaccine is in The Bahamas; a total of 12,960 doses. It is authorized for use as single booster dose in children 6 months through 5 years of age.  The remaining 10,800 Pfizer vaccines are for adults. This represents over 319,410 doses donated by the U.S. Government to The Bahamas, to date.   Present at the airport ceremony were: The Hon. Dr. Michael Darville, Minister of Health and Wellness; Dr. Pearl McMillan, Chief Medical Officer; Dr. Phillip Swann, Registrar; Jason Crosby, Acting Charge’ d Affaires, U.S. Embassy, Nassau; and other officials. Dr. Darville thanked the American Government, through its Nassau Embassy for the “wonderful gift” to The Bahamas. “We are pleased to have the vaccines in country and we know that they will go a long way.” He said it is the Ministry of Health and Wellness drive to get as many people as possible, in the country vaccinated. “What is so interesting about this particular donation is that for the first time in the country, we will get the bivalent vaccine which incorporates some components of the Omicron along with the other groups affiliated with the vaccines,” Dr. Darville said. In this vein he encouraged the public to continue getting vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. “We are still in the COVID-19 pandemic according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and it is our responsibility as a government to make sure that our clinics and our facilities have vaccines so that Bahamians who are expressing interest to be vaccinated, will have the opportunity to do so.” Dr. Darville acknowledged the U.S Government for its ongoing support of The Bahamas’ vaccination programme, and that of many other initiatives between both countries. Mr. Crosby said: “We are excited to have another opportunity to share lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines with The Bahamas.” He observed that vaccines are the best tool the world has to fight the  COVID-19 virus.  Hence, the donation to The Bahamas. United States President Joe Biden has committed to donating 1.2 billlion doses globally, which represents the largest commitment of any single country or group of countries in the world. “The path forward in the pandemic will require doubling down on our commitment to help vaccinate the globe and to save lives by making tests, treatments, and PPE widely available,” Mr. Crosby said. He thanked the Bahamas Government for its continued collaboration in these efforts. Dr. Darville further explained that the bivalent vaccine is a modern immunization, which has more capabilities to address the various strains, and works well as a booster. And, he encouraged Bahamians to take the vaccine, as there have been questions regarding its arrival in country. “Fortunately for us, we have about 12,960 dozes of the bivalent vaccine – a Pfizer vaccine which is very modern. It is very much in demand worldwide and for the first time it’s in the country,” he said. Referring to a recent cluster infection on the Island of Exuma, Dr. Darville said that the country is still experiencing cases of COVID-19.  “Our surveillance unit is very well trained and we address these issues as they come forth,” he said. To the relaxation of COVID-19 protocols – wearing of masks, hand sanitization and social distancing, Dr. Darville said it is a global phenomenon and that there are very few countries where such measures still exist.  “But The Bahamas is moving on, even though we have a pandemic. We must ensure that our tourism sector not only survives but grows, and we must make sure we get people back to work,” he said. Meanwhile, Bahamians are being urged to practice safety protocols, be mindful of others if suffering from upper respiratory tract infection, and to respect those who decide to wear masks.   “There is vaccination hesitancy in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas which is reflective throughout the region. With that being said, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that individuals who want to be vaccinated, that the vaccines are here,” he said. And, as the United States is regarded as a strategic partner Dr. Darville said The Bahamas is pleased for the continuous support.  “So for us, we are thankful that we have the bivalent and the ordinary Pfizer doses and we intend to continue our vaccination campaign throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. “The more people are vaccinated, the less burden it becomes on our hospitals and tertiary healthcare facilities simply because the facts are clear. Individuals who are not vaccinated are more likely to be hospitalized if they have any precursors as well as any issues with COVID-19.  And for that reason, our vaccination programme continues,” Dr. Darville said.

Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training the Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin said the recent lockdowns and shutdowns in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic have had multiple negative effects on education. 

“Indeed, it has been noted that no sector has been more severely affected than the education sector,” the Minister said at a press conference on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 announcing that the Ministry will be undertaking assessments on children at public schools throughout the country to evaluate the extent of the learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A tremendous body of research has been conducted globally and regionally and there is unanimity in the findings that millions of children worldwide are suffering from learning loss.

Minister Hanna-Martin explained that learning loss according to the World Bank refers to any specific or general loss of knowledge and skills or to reversals in academic progress, most commonly due to extended gaps”.

She also noted that a World Bank report published in June 2022 shows that “prolonged school closures, poor mitigation effectiveness, and household-income shocks had the biggest impact on learning poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with a predicted 80 per cent of children at the end-of-primary-school-age now unable to understand a simple written text, up from around 50 per cent pre-pandemic”.

The Minister said, “It is incumbent upon us in The Bahamas to measure the impact of COVID-19 which will give us real data as to the extent of learning loss so as to allow us to craft interventions to help our children catch up. The report shows that even before COVID-19 there was a learning crisis; COVID-19 exacerbated this crisis to huge proportions.”

She said the World Bank reported to avoid a permanent impact on the human capital accumulation of this generation, countries need to focus on reversing those losses and accelerating learning.

Minister Hanna-Martin said as a demonstration of data driven research, the Ministry commissioned a survey with the Department of Statistics to ascertain the reasons why thousands of children did not sign on to virtual learning and this data has given much insight into an array of issues.

She said another exercise that was undertaken nationwide involved public and private teams dispatched into communities to compile first-hand data on children not attending school.

“The deployment of attendance officers followed this initiative, to procure the attendances of students. Due to these combined efforts, we have been able to achieve an unprecedented school attendance rate of 94 per cent.

“Further, we commissioned a research project with the University of The Bahamas to identify factors which influence learning outcomes to our school population. This research will assist the Ministry in shaping policy and creating targeted interventions.”

Dominique McCartney-Russell, Acting Director said the Ministry has hired a consultant firm to undertake a diagnostic assessment of the learning loss that has occurred in the country and to provide recommendations for accelerating learning recovery.

After a bidding process, Renaissance Learning Inc. was the winning firm based on several criteria. These include:

• The company should have had at least a minimum of three years of successful consultancy in the education sector with the expertise required to satisfactorily complete the assignment.

• They should have successful experience in at least three assignments of similar value and complexity in diagnostic assessment, remediation and acceleration in a school system.

• They should also have experience in providing services to school systems with a student population of more than 35,000 children from grades K to 12.

The Acting Director said, “We looked at qualifications experience, methodologies, work plans, organization and staffing, subject matter expertise and overall competence for this assignment.”

She added, “The mandate of this consultancy includes diagnostic assessment, the remediation and the salvation of learning recovery for students in K to 12 in the public school sector.”

Renaissance Learning Inc. has worldwide impact and operations in countries including the United States, Canada, China, Australia, the United Kingdom and the Caribbean.

According to Renaissance Learning Inc. website, since 1986, its mission has been to accelerate learning for all children and adults of all ability levels and ethnic and social backgrounds, worldwide.  Today, more than 40 per cent of US schools rely on Renaissance solutions for data and insights to equitably move learning forward. 

 

Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training the Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin said the recent lockdowns and shutdowns in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic have had multiple negative effects on education.   “Indeed, it has been noted that no sector has been more severely affected than the education sector,” the Minister said at a press conference on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 announcing that the Ministry will be undertaking assessments on children at public schools throughout the country to evaluate the extent of the learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.   “A tremendous body of research has been conducted globally and regionally and there is unanimity in the findings that millions of children worldwide are suffering from learning loss. Minister Hanna-Martin explained that learning loss according to the World Bank refers to any specific or general loss of knowledge and skills or to reversals in academic progress, most commonly due to extended gaps”. She also noted that a World Bank report published in June 2022 shows that “prolonged school closures, poor mitigation effectiveness, and household-income shocks had the biggest impact on learning poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with a predicted 80 per cent of children at the end-of-primary-school-age now unable to understand a simple written text, up from around 50 per cent pre-pandemic”. The Minister said, “It is incumbent upon us in The Bahamas to measure the impact of COVID-19 which will give us real data as to the extent of learning loss so as to allow us to craft interventions to help our children catch up. The report shows that even before COVID-19 there was a learning crisis; COVID-19 exacerbated this crisis to huge proportions.”   She said the World Bank reported to avoid a permanent impact on the human capital accumulation of this generation, countries need to focus on reversing those losses and accelerating learning. Minister Hanna-Martin said as a demonstration of data driven research, the Ministry commissioned a survey with the Department of Statistics to ascertain the reasons why thousands of children did not sign on to virtual learning and this data has given much insight into an array of issues. She said another exercise that was undertaken nationwide involved public and private teams dispatched into communities to compile first-hand data on children not attending school.   “The deployment of attendance officers followed this initiative, to procure the attendances of students. Due to these combined efforts, we have been able to achieve an unprecedented school attendance rate of 94 per cent.   “Further, we commissioned a research project with the University of The Bahamas to identify factors which influence learning outcomes to our school population. This research will assist the Ministry in shaping policy and creating targeted interventions.” Dominique McCartney-Russell, Acting Director said the Ministry has hired a consultant firm to undertake a diagnostic assessment of the learning loss that has occurred in the country and to provide recommendations for accelerating learning recovery. After a bidding process, Renaissance Learning Inc. was the winning firm based on several criteria. These include: • The company should have had at least a minimum of three years of successful consultancy in the education sector with the expertise required to satisfactorily complete the assignment. • They should have successful experience in at least three assignments of similar value and complexity in diagnostic assessment, remediation and acceleration in a school system. • They should also have experience in providing services to school systems with a student population of more than 35,000 children from grades K to 12. The Acting Director said, “We looked at qualifications experience, methodologies, work plans, organization and staffing, subject matter expertise and overall competence for this assignment.” She added, “The mandate of this consultancy includes diagnostic assessment, the remediation and the salvation of learning recovery for students in K to 12 in the public school sector.” Renaissance Learning Inc. has worldwide impact and operations in countries including the United States, Canada, China, Australia, the United Kingdom and the Caribbean. According to Renaissance Learning Inc. website, since 1986, its mission has been to accelerate learning for all children and adults of all ability levels and ethnic and social backgrounds, worldwide.  Today, more than 40 per cent of US schools rely on Renaissance solutions for data and insights to equitably move learning forward.  

THE Ministry of Health and Wellness said precautionary measures have been implemented in the Intensive Care Unit and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Princess Margaret Hospital following a noticed uptick in COVID- 19 cases related to exposure at the hospital.

The hospital’s COVID- 19 protocols have been reinstated to only allow for two visitors per patient for a total of 15 minutes per visit. #People are asked to pay attention to all health updates and to continue to wash their hands and wear a mask in public if they test positive for COVID positive, if you are immunocompromised, or if you have any signs and symptoms of a respiratory illness. #The ministry also dismissed a report on social media that sought to spread alarm regarding COVID-19 cases. #The erroneous social media report was about the increasing number of cases of the Omicron COVID-19 XBB 1.5 variant reported in the US but was not issued by the ministry. #“The Ministry of Health and Wellness continues to receive reports of and monitor positive cases of COVID-19 as well as submit samples for sequencing according to existing procedures,” a statement from health officials said. #“To date, the ministry has not been informed that any samples submitted for sequencing have uncovered the variant in question. The Ministry of Health and Wellness will provide any additional relevant updates regarding variant presence in The Bahamas should it become necessary.”

The hospital’s COVID- 19 protocols have been reinstated to only allow for two visitors per patient for a total of 15 minutes per visit.

People are asked to pay attention to all health updates and to continue to wash their hands and wear a mask in public if they test positive for COVID positive, if you are immunocompromised, or if you have any signs and symptoms of a respiratory illness.

The ministry also dismissed a report on social media that sought to spread alarm regarding COVID-19 cases.

The erroneous social media report was about the increasing number of cases of the Omicron COVID-19 XBB 1.5 variant reported in the US but was not issued by the ministry.

“The Ministry of Health and Wellness continues to receive reports of and monitor positive cases of COVID-19 as well as submit samples for sequencing according to existing procedures,” a statement from health officials said.

“To date, the ministry has not been informed that any samples submitted for sequencing have uncovered the variant in question. The Ministry of Health and Wellness will provide any additional relevant updates regarding variant presence in The Bahamas should it become necessary.”

HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville has admitted that paediatric doses of the COVID-19 vaccine "are moving a little slower than we expected" with only about 320 to 330 administered so far.

 

The Pfizer vaccines were started for children aged five to 11 on Thursday, July 28, days after 24,000 doses were delivered to the country from France through the COVAX facility. #“I spoke with one of the team members and the paediatric doses are moving a little slower than we expected,” Dr Darville told The Tribune in a recent interview. #“To date, we have administered somewhere between 320 to 330 doses as of today (Thursday). #“The paediatric doses are available at the Mall at Marathon, the Flamingo Gardens Clinic, the Fleming Street Clinic, the Elizabeth Estates Clinic, South Beach, Family Island clinics and at the Seventeen Centre in Freeport.” #The minister said a number of factors could have contributed to the slow uptake, despite schools opening on August 29. #“It could be a combination of things. One, it could be the fact that kids are moving back and forth, two, the incidents of COVID are very low in the country at this time and we know that when the incidents are low in the country people are less motivated to be vaccinated. #“Three - the issue of the Omicron variant seems to be less virulent and so a lot people are not in hospital sick from COVID and so all of these combined factors could be associated along with parents travelling could be associated with the slow uptake with the doses, but they are available.” #He said officials were working on a strategy to encourage parents and guardians to have their children vaccinated when asked whether there was a goal in mind for this age group. #“School is closed. A lot of our kids are travelling and we have a plan to distribute paediatric doses in the schools. We have not finalised how that will be rolled out as yet, but we are working very, very assiduously to come up with a strategy. #“We know for a fact that if we are going to administer the vaccines in school a guardian or the parent must accompany the child along with a written documentation. #“So, we’re working out the logistics on how to do it in the school but as we speak all vaccines, including the paediatric doses, are available. It’s available. The roll out has been relatively slow with somewhere between 320 to 330 doses.” #Last month, Dr Darville said despite a noted drop in vaccination rates over the last several months, preliminary data had suggested that vaccine uptake was increasing in the country. #“Preliminary reports from our vaccination committees indicated that we are seeing some increased uptake,” Dr Darville said at the time. “I’m pleased at what we are seeing at the Mall of Marathon. We’re putting together a new site in Grand Bahama. #“The site of the final location, I think, has been agreed to and very soon we will be able to start administering vaccines at that location as well. Meanwhile, at all of our polyclinics, including Grand Bahama, we are administering vaccines. We intend to do it for the paediatric vaccine as well.” #More than 170,000 people in The Bahamas have been fully vaccinated against the disease since the start of the government’s vaccination programme last March.

The Pfizer vaccines were started for children aged five to 11 on Thursday, July 28, days after 24,000 doses were delivered to the country from France through the COVAX facility.

“I spoke with one of the team members and the paediatric doses are moving a little slower than we expected,” Dr Darville told The Tribune in a recent interview.

“To date, we have administered somewhere between 320 to 330 doses as of today (Thursday).

“The paediatric doses are available at the Mall at Marathon, the Flamingo Gardens Clinic, the Fleming Street Clinic, the Elizabeth Estates Clinic, South Beach, Family Island clinics and at the Seventeen Centre in Freeport.”

The minister said a number of factors could have contributed to the slow uptake, despite schools opening on August 29.

“It could be a combination of things. One, it could be the fact that kids are moving back and forth, two, the incidents of COVID are very low in the country at this time and we know that when the incidents are low in the country people are less motivated to be vaccinated.

“Three - the issue of the Omicron variant seems to be less virulent and so a lot people are not in hospital sick from COVID and so all of these combined factors could be associated along with parents travelling could be associated with the slow uptake with the doses, but they are available.”

He said officials were working on a strategy to encourage parents and guardians to have their children vaccinated when asked whether there was a goal in mind for this age group.

“School is closed. A lot of our kids are travelling and we have a plan to distribute paediatric doses in the schools. We have not finalised how that will be rolled out as yet, but we are working very, very assiduously to come up with a strategy.

“We know for a fact that if we are going to administer the vaccines in school a guardian or the parent must accompany the child along with a written documentation.

“So, we’re working out the logistics on how to do it in the school but as we speak all vaccines, including the paediatric doses, are available. It’s available. The roll out has been relatively slow with somewhere between 320 to 330 doses.”

Last month, Dr Darville said despite a noted drop in vaccination rates over the last several months, preliminary data had suggested that vaccine uptake was increasing in the country.

“Preliminary reports from our vaccination committees indicated that we are seeing some increased uptake,” Dr Darville said at the time. “I’m pleased at what we are seeing at the Mall of Marathon. We’re putting together a new site in Grand Bahama.

“The site of the final location, I think, has been agreed to and very soon we will be able to start administering vaccines at that location as well. Meanwhile, at all of our polyclinics, including Grand Bahama, we are administering vaccines. We intend to do it for the paediatric vaccine as well.”

More than 170,000 people in The Bahamas have been fully vaccinated against the disease since the start of the government’s vaccination programme last March.