And the island’s top doctor has declared the COVID-19 pandemic that killed 650 Barbadians from more 100 000 cases is effectively over and the Ministry of Health has stopped vaccinating citizens.  

In an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY on Monday, Dr Kenneth George said: “We have put surveillance systems in place. We have trained several persons not particularly in public health with respect to managing unusual outbreaks.”

With tourists expected from both traditional and non-traditional markets, Dr George highlighted the government’s concerns regarding certain non-COVID diseases.

“There are other diseases of public health concern which we are monitoring,” he said. “We have made sure that our Barbados Drug Service has the appropriate drugs
available for the treatment of any cases of tuberculosis, malaria…because, when people travel, they travel sometimes with the disease.”

Despite the anticipated influx of foreign visitors during the prestigious tournament, the chief medical advisor expressed optimism about the public health situation. 

He said the outlook for the World Cup “is good”. 

“I don’t expect any major outbreak of any serious disease,” he said, emphasising the importance of proper food handling practices “to protect the food source for Barbadians and visitors alike”.

In a new development, Dr George reported that while “a few” COVID-19 cases emerge occasionally, there is currently “no active” vaccine programme related to the virus. 

“We haven’t given AstraZeneca vaccine for about 18 months. There has been no AstraZeneca vaccine on the market in Barbados for a while. The COVID pandemic is over…we still get a few cases, and there is no active vaccine in Barbados for COVID at the moment.”  

This revelation comes after AstraZeneca’s decision to withdraw its COVID-19 vaccine from further production, citing a shift in demand towards newer, updated vaccines due to the emergence of new variants. 

While the vaccine was estimated to have saved millions of lives from more than three billion doses, it has also been liked to rare, and sometimes fatal, blood clots.

Addressing the unavailability of COVID-19 vaccines in Barbados, Dr George explained: “We are not vaccinating people. The reason is that vaccines are very expensive, and the smaller markets were traditionally shut out. We had gotten a few offers of vaccine, but the vaccines were too close to the expiratory date; and we took a decision that we are not going to take vaccines from countries that wanted to offer vaccines to Barbados.”

The chief medical officer reiterated the ministry’s stance on administering only efficacious vaccines to Barbadians, considering factors such as expiry dates. 

“There are no [COVID] vaccines available in Barbados, period,” he declared.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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The event, held under the banner of the Rotary Club’s Health and Wellness Initiative, was spearheaded by the club’s president, Ermine Darroux-Francis. Rotary Club is one of the oldest in Barbados, boasting a proud 61-year history and a membership exceeding 110.

“We started at 9 a.m. and people were waiting to get tested. So, this in itself is a success for us,” Darroux-Francis told Barbados TODAY, adding that from early in the morning, Barbadians were lining up to take part in the event.

She expressed her satisfaction with the turnout, emphasising the importance of early detection in the fight against NCDs.

“Barbadians are responding, and this is good because we believe early detection and knowing your status is the first step to help fight NCDs,” she added.

The initiative, which started in September last year, saw Rotarians traversing all 11 parishes to conduct early screenings. The Rotary Club President explained that the decision to embark on this project stemmed from the alarming rates of NCDs reported by health authorities in the region. With a focus on early screening and raising awareness, the Rotary Club aimed to make a tangible difference in combating these diseases.

Reflecting on the broader spectrum of Rotary’s endeavours, Darroux-Francis highlighted their commitment to seven key areas of focus, including disease prevention and youth empowerment. “For us, the economic value of this particular project is more than $600,000,” she revealed, underscoring the club’s substantial investment in community health.

Acknowledging Rotary’s ongoing initiatives, particularly in youth development, Darroux-Francis outlined their Youth Elevation Scheme, conducted in collaboration with the Juvenile Liaison Scheme. “Our aim is to boost their confidence, enhance their communication and listening skills, and help them to think before they act,” she stated.

The event was a culmination of a nine-month-long endeavour by the Rotary Club of Barbados, dedicated to combating non-communicable diseases (NCDs) within the community. (Photo by Ryan Gilkes)

In addition to youth-focused endeavours, the Rotary Club of Barbados extends its support to various community projects, ranging from disaster management to medical assistance. Their partnership with organisations such as the Child Care Board exemplifies their commitment to holistic community welfare.

Addressing concerns about the sustainability of their health initiatives, Darroux-Francis emphasised collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health and Wellness and surgical and educational institutions. “We expect the project to continue and to provide support to the community,” she affirmed while highlighting the collaborative effort that underpinned the event’s success. 

Among the organisations taking part were Sagicor Life Inc, Ross University, the Blood Collection Centre of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Bayview Hospital and Laboratory, the Barbados Cancer Society, the Barbados Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Maria Holder Diabetes Center for the Caribbean, and the Diabetes and Hypertension Association, Wibisco and Pelican Produce. (RG)

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After several years of pleading with men to come forward and have their prostates tested, the signs point to a drastic change in behaviour, said Cancer Support Services’ spokesman Antoine Williams as he spoke to reporters at the end of a two-day nurses’ training workshop at Coconut Court Beach Hotel.

“When we do our prostate testing sessions, we are seeing the increases,” he said. “We try to measure it based on the numbers. So, for example, we’ve had 100, 120, 140 [men coming forward]. The numbers are increasing, which is good, and again the age groups are also increasing, so there is that awareness. We are seeing men who are even coming in as groups, whether it’s with the church (or) community groups, so there is that definite increase.”

Williams added that more people are seeking the charity’s financial support, care and counselling services: “I would say that there is definitely an uptake.”

Reverend Anderson Kellman, one of the facilitators of the programme. (SB)

Reverend Anderson Kellman, one of the facilitators of the nurse enrichment programme, said more men are also coming forward to seek counselling to help them cope with their cancer diagnosis.

“There are still more women coming for counselling than men, but I’ve seen a significant number of men come for therapy, and that is a very heartwarming reality,” he said. “We as men sometimes… grin and bear to our own destruction, but yes, we are seeing a lot more men coming now seeking counselling…. I think that is a very good sign.”

Despite the encouraging signs, the lack of human resources available to deal effectively with the demand for services is still a concern, the officials said.

“I think people have said in the sessions that the issue of not having enough manpower that they desire is a major concern. Of course, people are more demanding now in terms of service. Once upon a time, there was a mystique in terms of doctors, the nurses and the medical people, but now people can go online and read stuff and therefore have different kinds of expectations. That also puts pressure in terms of the scarce resources that they have at the QEH.

“We are not going to push a panic button, but all we are simply saying is that the (patients) are more demanding now, therefore the idea of service becomes even more important,” Reverend Kellman said.

Seventeen nurses participated in this year’s enrichment programme which drew nursing officers, registered nurses and nursing assistants from all areas of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, from the Accident and Emergency Department to the antenatal clinic. The nurses were trained in teamwork, emotional intelligence and palliative care. (SB)

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Health officials have noticed an increase in the cases of gastrointestinal illnesses in Barbados.

The uptick in cases in persons older than five years moved from 27 in the week prior to April 27, to 34 cases at the end of that week. Previously, there were only 11 cases recorded. The alert level for this age group, at this time of the year, is less than six cases.

In children under five years old, the number of cases has moved from two to eight, for the week ending April 27.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness reported that for the subset of cases tested, foodborne pathogens had been identified (bacterial and viral) but no single source or event had been linked to the majority of cases.

It therefore urged members of the public to practise good hand hygiene which is the most effective way of reducing the transmission of many bacterial and viral illnesses. This includes washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and drying them with disposable tissue. If soap and water are not available, an alcohol-based hand sanitiser is recommended.

“Persons purchasing items to eat should ensure that sellers conduct appropriate food handling practices, such as protecting food from flies and other vectors; using suitable utensils to touch food; and maintaining hot or cold items at the correct temperatures,” it said.

The ministry also reported a moderate increase in respiratory illnesses has also been noted in persons over five years old, during the week ending April 27.

Health officials have advised that people keep unwashed hands away from the eyes, nose and mouth, and to generally avoid touching these areas as germs can enter the body this way.

(BGIS/BT)

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On Thursday, May 2, the following districts will be sprayed: Chelston Cross Gap, Chelston Avenue and Garden, Tamarind Avenue, Chapel Place, Dalkeith Village, Seamen Village, Bullens Avenue, Paddock Road and avenues, Kings Village, Deighton Road, and Gooding Land and avenues.

The fogging exercise for the week will conclude on Friday, May 3, when the Unit visits Dayrells Road, Brathwaite Gap, Gooding Road, Plum Close, Overdene Drive, Ventor Gardens, and surrounding districts.

Fogging takes place from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. daily. Householders are reminded to open their windows and doors to allow the spray to enter. Children should not be allowed to play in the fog.

Members of the public are advised that the completion of scheduled fogging activities may be affected by events beyond the Unit’s control. In such circumstances, the Unit will return to communities affected in the soonest possible time.

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If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental illness, experiencing emotional distress or harbouring thoughts of self-harm, a new 24-hour mental health hotline is officially here to help. 

Lifeline Barbados – 536-4500 – was officially launched Friday by the government to offer support for mental health issues.

Already, the helpline has received more than 300 calls since it began operating two months ago, revealing anxiety, depression, social issues, other personal matters, financial challenges, and thoughts of suicide among callers.

“The vast majority of the calls related to suicide ideation were categorised as low risk,” Minister of State in the Ministry of Health Davidson Ishmael told attendees at the helpline’s launch at the ministry’s Culloden Road offices. “What we found interesting and encouraging is that there were several calls from persons who simply wanted to speak to someone.”

Lifeline Barbados was established in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) with the goal of addressing the growing number of mental health challenges faced by Barbadians, particularly following the peak of the COVID pandemic, according to Ishmael.

In recent years, mental health has risen in importance for Barbadians, prompting the government to address the challenge, he said.

Ishmael said: “Barbadians would be acutely aware that we had a period of time in recent years where there was an unfortunate and undesirable spate of suicides which occurred within our island, and which captured the immediate attention of our government and varied stakeholders and partners within the mental health space. This captured attention quickly turned to robust planning, and that robust planning has led us to decisive action in the form of the creation of Lifeline Barbados.”

The hotline began operating “quietly” in February, operating from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily on two shifts, including holidays. Now, with help from the ministry’s partners, training for the hotline operators has been carried out, said the minister.

“The hotline is currently staffed by 15 persons, comprising the hotline manager, four supervisors, and ten hotline operators,” Ishmael said. “The operators who man the phones and interface with the caller will be responsible for providing general mental health information, emotional support and crisis intervention services. Accordingly, I can confirm that the entire hotline staff have been trained to perform their critical functions. With the support of our strategic partner PAHO/WHO, the ministry was able to engage the services of an international consultant to develop the standard operating procedures and to train the staff in the hotline in helpline crisis intervention techniques.”

The minister stressed that although the island’s suicide rate was well below the global average, suicide and self-harm were “fully recognised” as health issues prompting the need for the helpline.  

“Local health statistics show that on average, twice as many persons [have]sought out mental health services at our multiple polyclinics as compared to the pre-COVID years,” said Ishmael. 

“Lifeline Barbados has been established based on international best practice guidelines, and it is anticipated that it will further enhance our national response to mental health challenges, allowing for immediate and appropriate interventions and follow-up. Ultimately, the ministry’s objective is to ensure that all citizens have improved access to quality mental health services that meet their needs, without exposing them to any financial hardships or duress.”

The minister also assured that a complete restructuring of the country’s mental health framework was on the horizon.

(SB)

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Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Health and Wellness Wayne Marshall said the programme which commenced in February saw a vehicle visiting communities providing healthcare services, including immunisation and health checks. The aim of the initiative, he said, is to ensure greater access to these services.

“So this intervention was very successful . . . and in March alone, there have been 14 outreach clinics [in] that mobile service and 383 Barbadians receiving these services.

“So, generally, I think that having started only in February and what we have recorded for March, this has been a phenomenal success – and I might add that it is nurse-driven. So I want to congratulate our nurses who have started this project,” Marshall told the congregation at Calvary Moravian Church, Roebuck Street, St Michae​​l on Sunday during a service to mark the launch of the 22nd Vaccination Week in the Americas.

The PS said polyclinics are also open on Saturdays — from February to May — to accommodate people who need to get their children immunised but “cannot afford to lose a day’s pay” to do so.

He said this was done as there has been an “alarming” decline in the immunisation rate in the country.

“Before COVID-19 of 2020, Barbados was one of the most outstanding among regional countries achieving and sustaining vaccination rates of more than 90 per cent on an annual basis. Subsequently, however, we have witnessed a measurable decline in our vaccination rates which are now estimated at only 85 per cent in 2023,” Marshall reported. “This decline is alarming because we recognise that vaccinations really extend lives and improve lives.”

Given that development, a study was conducted in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Task Force on Global Health to understand and identify reasons for the decline in immunisation rates, he explained.

The findings, Marshall said, revealed an estimated 10 per cent defaulting rate of vaccination among children under five years of age – children who received one of the first three vaccines but did not return for the first and second booster shots.

The health ministry official said among the reasons for this were that people forgot their appointments, some were unaware when the vaccines were due, others could not attend the clinic as they could not afford to lose a day’s work, and there were others who questioned vaccine safety.

“So these results propelled an all-out response and campaign by the Ministry of Health and Wellness to address the reasons and therefore reverse the decline being experienced, hence the initiatives,” Marshall said, though stressing that the ministry is not resting on its laurels.

“We want to continue and focus on capturing defaulters and reversing the downward trend in vaccination coverage by also implementing a number of other community outreach activities. We at the ministry take vaccination very seriously and the decline has been of great concern to us because we know that the future of our citizens and the prosperity of the nation hinges primarily on our ability to protect our people, and that is something that we take seriously, as I said, and that is something that we will continue to do in this regard.”

The theme for this year’s Vaccination Week in the Americans is Engage Now to Protect Your Future.

“Our ministry’s goal is to create awareness about vaccines to people of all ages and, in doing so, increase vaccine acceptance and uptake. Once vaccinated, lives continue without interruption of vaccine-preventive diseases, leading to healthy, longer and more productive lives,” said Marshall.

This year, he disclosed, there will be activities geared towards following goals, narrowing and eventually closing the existing immunisation gap, reaching and maintaining the targeted 95 per cent of vaccine coverage within the under-five population, maintaining vaccines and immunisations as priorities on the political agenda, and reassuring the population of the effectiveness, safety and benefits of vaccines and immunisations.

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Barbados has a low immunisation rate making thousands of residents susceptible to many vaccine-preventable diseases, says senior health sister Hazel Forde.

She said this was a major concern, especially in the wake of the island hosting the International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup in June, which is expected to attract more than 20 000 visitors to the island.

She was speaking to Barbados TODAY on Saturday during a health fair and exhibition organised by the Ministry of Health, held at Massy Supermarket in Warrens.

“Herd immunity means that enough people are vaccinated to protect the unvaccinated and the vulnerable — the ones that could not be vaccinated for one reason or another, either because of their age or because of their immune system. For that to occur, you need 95 per cent coverage for most diseases. And based on our current coverage, we are in the high 80s.

“So, we are facing challenges with low immunisation coverage, which means that we are susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough, things that we thought were gone a long time ago; and they are re-emerging in our tourism source markets — the United States, Canada and Europe. We have the World Cup coming up and we are going to have a lot more tourists, so there is increased risk,” she said, adding that the Ministry of Health was putting measures in place, such as the health fair, to help stave off those vaccine preventable diseases.

At the health fair, interested people also got the opportunity to get their blood sugar and pressure taken and blood work done to test cholesterol levels and kidney and liver health. (Photo by Sheria Brathwaite)

Forde explained that since the advent of COVID-19 there was a surge in the anti-vaccination movement and this was the main reason the island’s immunisation rate was low.

“During COVID-19, we did have a lot of anti-vaccine sentiment and that has transferred from the COVID-19 vaccine to vaccines in general and the childhood vaccines. The anti vaxxers are much more prominent.

They are very vocal, and people, before looking into all the facts, are hooking on to their words. Plus, there’s a lot of distrust as well for health care, so that has contributed to the low coverage.”

At the health fair, there were several adult vaccines on offer such as hepatitis B and the flu shot. All of the children’s vaccines were also available such as measles, mumps and rubella, tetanus and polio.

Interested people also got the opportunity to get their blood sugar and pressure taken and blood work done to test cholesterol levels and kidney and liver health.

There was also a sexual education and reproductive system booth, where men and women got the opportunity to learn more about their reproductive organs and how to practise safe sex. (SZB)

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The Vector Control Unit will focus on the parish of Christ Church when it carries out its fogging exercise this week.

The districts of Maxwell Hill Road, Cane Vale Road, Maxwell Terrace, Maxwell Gardens, Mahogany Gardens, Moravian Gardens, Fair Holmes Gardens, Hythe Gardens, and Ashby Avenue will be fogged on Monday, April 22.

The next day, Tuesday, April 23, the team will spray Graeme Hall Terrace, Graeme Hall Park Road, and Goodwood Drive.

On Wednesday, April 24, St Lawrence Gap, Paradise Village Road, Bath Village Road, Dover Avenues, Dover Gardens, Maxwell Coast Road, Oistins, and surrounding areas will be targeted.

The fogging team will visit Scarborough, Pegwell Road, Church Hill Main Road, Church Road, Evergreen Road, and Windy Ridge on Thursday, April 25.

The fogging exercise for the week will conclude on Friday, April 26, in Windy Ridge, Thornbury Hill, and neighbouring districts.

Fogging takes place from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. daily. Householders are reminded to open their windows and doors to allow the spray to enter. Children should not be allowed to play in the spray.

Members of the public are advised that the completion of scheduled fogging activities may be affected by events beyond the Unit’s control. In such circumstances, the Unit will return to communities affected in the soonest possible time.

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Health officials in the United States have raised alarms about a sharp rise in cases of measles, a highly infectious viral illness that spreads through the air and can cause serious complications or even death. During the first quarter of this year alone, there have already been approximately 30 per cent of the total measles cases reported since 2020. Medical experts view this sudden surge as a significant setback to efforts aimed at eliminating measles from the US.

But in a bid to console residents here, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Arthur Phillips said on Thursday that Barbados has maintained its measles elimination status up to 2023.

“There have been no confirmed cases of measles in Barbados in the 21st century thus far. The last confirmed case of measles in Barbados was in 1991,” Dr Phillips told Barbados TODAY.

“There is an annual verification process to certify the elimination of measles in countries, and this includes the ability of the country to demonstrate that there is a strong epidemiological surveillance system in place, which Barbados has consistently demonstrated.”

Turning his attention to measles prevention, he said Barbados, like other countries, had seen a decline in measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine coverage in 2020, associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. But he said the trend had rebounded, although not to the ideal levels.

Dr Phillips said: “In 2022 and 2023, there was a steady reversal of the declining trend in coverage. For 2022, the MMR coverage for the first dose was 85 per cent and the MMR coverage for the second dose was 73 per cent. At the end of 2023, the MMR coverage for the first dose was 90 per cent and the MMR coverage for the second dose was 76 per cent,” he revealed. “Two doses of MMR vaccine are needed to ensure maximum protection against measles and overall, the coverage is well below the targeted 95 per cent.”

Dr Phillips explained that one dose of MMR vaccine is 93 per cent effective at preventing measles, and two doses are 97 per cent effective. The MMR vaccine’s first dose is usually administered at age one and the second dose at 18 months.

The senior medical official pointed out that the immunisation programme has historically performed “very well” and has maintained routine vaccination, including MMR vaccine coverage at “reasonably high levels”.

“This success,” Dr Phillips contended, “has led to good population immunity and now unfortunately to some complacency within the population.”

He said that interventions aimed at improving MMR coverage include new and ongoing activities supervised by the Senior Health Sisters in the various polyclinics.

These activities include reviewing vaccine registers to identify children that have defaulted from vaccination so that their parents can be called, and appointments scheduled for vaccination at the polyclinic. They also involve visits to nurseries and daycare facilities by public health nurses to check vaccination cards and alert parents of children who are missing vaccines through written notices. That activity was started in February and is ongoing, Dr Phillips said.

MMR vaccine coverage was also tackled by the opening of several clinics on Saturdays during March and is aimed at continuing throughout the year.

Dr Phillips announced that MMR immunisation was also being taken to the community to vaccinate eligible children who missed their shots in 2020 through 2023.

“This includes introduction of the new mobile bus recently commenced to facilitate the delivery of health interventions more directly within communities around Barbados,” he said.

Barbados will also be taking part in Vaccine Week of the Americas which runs from April 20-27, and features health fairs and exhibitions and open days at polyclinics. The week begins with two health fairs on Saturday the Emerald City Complex, Six Roads St Philip, and Massy Supermarket and Shopping Complex, Warrens, St Michael.

In the US, from 2020 through 2023, there was an average of five measles cases in the first quarter of each year. Those low numbers were due, in part, to the COVID pandemic, when fewer people were interacting in person. By contrast, this year’s first-quarter tally was 97, according to a report the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Thursday.

“The rapid increase in the number of reported measles cases during the first quarter of 2024 represents a renewed threat to elimination,” the authors wrote.

Measles has been considered eliminated in the US since 2000, meaning the disease is no longer constantly present, though there are still occasional outbreaks there.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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