NASSAU| Despite the Minnis Administration’s push for all Bahamian adults to get the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine during its nationwide vaccination program, sources tell the Gallery that some members of the Minnis cabinet traveled abroad to be vaccinated.
Earlier this month, Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said “There’s a lot of what I call stupid, silly fake news going on about the vaccine that is causing a considerable amount of hesitancy.”
However, it seems ordinary Bahamians aren’t the only ones worried about the AZ vaccine that the Minnis government is trying to push on the public. Some cabinet ministers travelled to get the Johnson and Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines because they don’t trust the vaccine being administered in The Bahamas.
If some cabinet ministers don’t want the AstraZeneca vaccine, why is the government pushing it on other Bahamians?
Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis, Health Minister Renward Wells, Minister of State for Finance Kwasi Smith and Minister of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar were captured getting the AstraZeneca vaccine along with former Minister of Health Dr. Duane Sands and former Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest who were both booted out of the Minnis cabinet.
But what about their colleagues? Is the Minnis Administration willing to come clean on which ministers were vaccinated in other countries and which COVID vaccines they received?
Last month, Minnis came under fire when he said having staff vaccinated would ensure businesses continue operations should there be a COVID exposure.
He suggested that employees who are not vaccinated take weekly RT-PCR tests, which cost over $100 each in The Bahamas.
What message does it send when some of his own ministers choose not to participate in the government’s vaccination program?
The Bahamas has 53,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and another 33,000 doses are expected to be delivered in June.
The country expects to have 120,000 doses to fully vaccinate 60,000 people.
