Health Ministry Facing Opposition on Pfizer Distribution

Member of Parliament, Juliet Holness shared her concern about the decision by the Health Ministry to give adults the Pfizer vaccine. She says children 12-18 should have been given priority access to the Pfizer brand to see students return to face-to-face class.

During Wednesday, October 6, Public Administration and Appropriations Committee, (PAAC) meeting, she questioned why Pfizer vaccines were not given exclusively to children.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Juliet Cuthbert-Fynn, agrees with Holness’ concerns. She says the Ministry should have stuck with the plan to prioritize children for the Pfizer vaccine.

However, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dunstan Bryan, is defending the distribution. Mr. Bryan says the Ministry’s administration of Pfizer to adults was in keeping with policy directives. He says that the policy was clear in prioritization but did not instruct exclusivity and that the vulnerable should be considered at all times.

Holness agrees that the vulnerable should be put first but wants to see a push for persons to take the other available brands. The Health Ministry announced that over 200 thousand doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines are set to expire by the end of October.

More in this CVM Live story from Jhanielle Powell: