Malone defends offering lunches for jabs as BVI surpasses 10K vaccinations
The British Virgin Islands has now administered more than 10,000 first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine but Health Minister Carvin Malone has had to be warding off criticism relating to how the BVI inched past the milestone.
At the start of the business day on Wednesday, April 29, the BVI was a few dozen jabs short of having 10,000 persons accept the vaccine.
With widespread refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine locally, Malone — to move the process along — offered free lunches to the first 61 persons who took their first dose of the vaccine before the end of the day and proved it. Sixty-one was the number of vaccinations needed to reach 10,000 and he issued the challenge under the hashtag, ‘#Jab&Dine‘.
A total of 112 persons vaccinated that day; bringing the total number of vaccinations to date to 10,051. However, some residents have described #Jab&Dine as distasteful and bribery.
Malone has rebuffed those claims.
“This was not, as some as speculated, a bribe to get anyone. We have to reopen our economy. We have to make sure that all is done in terms of following the protocols and this (vaccination) is the science that is offered to us in terms of how we get through this,” Malone stated Wednesday evening.
Not my wish to intimidate, threaten, or blackmail
And while continuing the conversation this morning, Malone said the 112 persons who vaccinated yesterday did so “voluntarily and WITHOUT being blackmailed”.
“In celebration of the 10,000 persons mark, I will personally honour my pledge to the first 61 persons who submit their immunisation card or picture to 441-0332. #Jab&Dine,” the minister stated.
He added: “Just like other deadly viruses throughout the ages, vaccination is required to lessen the transmission and the effects of COVID-19. It is NOT my wish to intimidate you, to threaten you or to blackmail you but rather to advise of the benefits of being vaccinated. Why risk your life and the life of others? Why risk your business and the business of others? Why risk your job and the job of others? The choice is yours. There are sufficient vaccines for an additional 7,000 persons. Will you be one? The opportunity is here but the choice is yours. Don’t hesitate, vaccinate!”
To date, the BVI has received a total of 34,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine — enough to inoculate 17 thousand people.
The vaccines currently in hand will expire before the end of the second quarter of 2021. The government said it is willing to return unwanted vaccines to the UK and Dominica so they can be given to persons who need the jabs in those countries.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Wow!!!
Is it right for persons to loose their jobs because they refuse the vaccine?
If what I am hearing is true, this would be wrong and an abuse of peoples human right.
If you’re not vaccinated you cant enter oil nut bay….all workers including staff, truck drivers, construction workers, boat captains and crews
Well done ONB, we will see more of this and it is right
Yellow fever vaccinations are mandatory for travel to many places, take it or don’t travel there…your choice.
We currently already demand multiple vaccinations for our own children before they are allowed to attend public school…get them or miss school…your choice
So when the travel industry we are so dependant on demands fully vaccinated taxi drivers and store employees to allow a resumption of business….take it or lose your job…your choice
And just to be clear…it was your choice, so just be quiet while your mother is gasping out her last breaths
Would you just hush. The vaccines that you speak about have all be tested, ran years of trials a tried (dont know about proven they are) so please just stop. how do me not having on a bullet proof vest endanger you who have on one. Tell me. Nobody stopping nobody who whanna take the vaccines, go ahead but there are those who do not want it so just stop it. Who live because they have it, would have eternal life and those who die for not having it will just be doomed. youall need to back the heck off
The vaccines being administered have been around for over 10 years. They were tweaked to fight off Covid but have a proven track record. How do you think the vaccines were developed so fast. A mind is a terrible thing to waste and in the BVI they are all wasted.
This is genetic modification/gene therapy, NOT a vaccine. This is NOT a tweaked virus vaccine of old. It is NOT approved but merely authorized. I personally do not want to be part of the experiment. I pray for those that have chosen to be a guinea pig. We both have made a choice. I respect yours and you should respect mine.
It’s not a vaccine, most definitely is gene therapy. Been around for over 10 years? Did you care to check the animal trials from back then?
UK Gov Stat – AstraZeneca Report Run Date: 04/01/2021 to 21/04/2021
Total Reactions for Drug: 573,650 (many of these are really serious) Total Fatal Outcomes: 685 (that’s dead people). But these figures are nothing compared to the potential for this to go sideways.
Right now is the stage three trial (until 2023), we are all guinea pigs, even if you don’t take it. What could go wrong? Dread to think, there is zero logic to conducting such a large experiment. Worse case scenario? Mass casualties, particularly the so called ‘vaccinated’, potentially all dead inside three years.
It is your right not to take the vaccine, but it is also the employer’s right to protect his/her investment. So both of you have rights.
Have the vaccine and get on with your job and life, with it you don’t die and you don’t transmit it as easily. You are living in cloud cuckoo land if you think it’s anything to do with bill gates, 4G, sterility, virility, white mans eugenics. Educate yourself …
He did something right.
I see no issue in giving incentives in promoting the vaccination.
Does anyone think that those 112 people were anti vaccination but a dinner changed their mind?
No, it people who probably didn’t prioritize it and his offer generated a trigger…
If it was I, I would have been more aggressive and would have called for assistance from the private sector to generate more insensitive… opening up the economy is top priority. Getting folks out who are ok with the vaccination but just delay for later should be a top priority..
For those believing in some conspiracy theories… none of that will change their mind
Like Esau who sold his birth right for a pot of lentil. So you sold your original God given DNA for artificial DNA. SHAME ON UUUUUUU.
You are misinformed there is no change of DNA, go and read real science and stop watching lying YouTube posts.
He is putting on plenty weight so i guess he will eat one of his own plates today….lol
Vaccination is the solution to control COVID 19. Just like vaccination has controlled Polio, Tetanus and Diphtheria.
“If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.”
Your view is appreciated but i appreciate when they are backed with facts:
1)Yes, vaccinations has been proven to be the solution to control diseases but this has yet to be proven for Covid 19. It can reduce the severity of the disease but it has not been proven as yet.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/why-covid-19-vaccination-doesn-t-guarantee-immunity/ar-BB1gcYBT?ocid=msedgntp
2)Before persons use a blanket approach for vaccinations in the past, one cannot lump vaccinations of bacteria based diseases like diphtheria and tetanus with polio and Covid 19, as they are viruses. Bacteria and viruses are different as with how the vaccinations are developed.
Diphtheria – https://www.who.int/biologicals/vaccines/diphtheria/en/
Tetanus- https://www.who.int/biologicals/vaccines/tetanus/en/
Polio-https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/polio/hcp/effectiveness-duration-protection.html#:~:text=Two%20doses%20of%20inactivated%20polio,of%20IPV%20and%20tOPV%2C%20or
Covid 19 – https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/standardization-of-vaccines-for-coronavirus-disease-covid-19
According to WHO, the Covid 19 vaccinations are still “being investigated using various technologies and platforms including: viral-vectored, protein subunit, nucleic acid (DNA, RNA), live attenuated and inactivated vaccines with some entered clinical trials”.
I am in support of vaccinations but I’m going to wait and see and follow up with information which both cdc and who are providing. Furthermore, the vaccine manufacturers are uncertain as to whether or not a booster shot is needed after getting your two jabs.
“But only continued studies involving people in the early trials, who are supposed to be followed for up to two years, will answer the question of how long people can expect the vaccine protection to last” -https://time.com/5955500/covid-19-vaccine-booster-shot/
So is it really a question of solution or problem here? If you actually assess the information, it’s the uncertainty of the vaccinations that has persons reluctant.
Like Esau who sold his birth right for a pot of lentil. So you sold your original God given DNA for artificial DNA. SHAME ON UUUUUUU.
If the Governor made an offer like this everyone would’ve cried racist and other things. But it’s okay once the VIP does it. This is just shameless!
@Concerned, If I had the vaccination and you don’t, Do think that it’s fair for you to work on the same team as me? Those of you who don’t take the vaccination will lose out. as for work permit workers, I think the government should do like the Turks & Caicos Islands; don’t renew Work Permits for unvaccinated persons. We need to get back to where we were before the Virus and people who refuse to take the vaccination aren’t helping, and they are the sameones who are saying open up now.
I will never give blood to a vaccinated person and ayo could take that to the bank.
Would you take it from a vaccinated person if you needed it? How would you know if the donor is vaccinated or not, if you are lying on the surgery table?
Can i have a dinner 4 2 tonight at loose mongoose carvin?
THE MAN HIMSELF COVID MALONE
but the tourist’s children can come with no vaccine, cos it is not safe for them children?? So it is not safe for me either. Anyway, we all know the tourists them will be bringing and passing around the Covid19.
Why do I need to vaccinate with an un proved shot that is not a vaccine, cos vaccine means you are protected from ever getting the disease. This is a flu shot of some sort, which you all are turning in to the mark of the beast, without it no buying or selling or working.
Jesus is coming soon for His Bride, if you are not ready no heaven for you. Fine and you will know when we are Raputured and you are left behind with your Covid19 protecting you from the Great Tribulation.
Carry on.
OK… So by the way you speak, you believe God and Jesus will save you. Great.
I will go with the science which ho BTW showed /proved the effecincy of the vaccine if you only bothered to read the results from Israel and UK…
Either way, each to his own, seems we both believe we are protected, you with God,. E by vaccine sk what is the problem… Open up
‘Immunization’, I like that word. It means that once you take a vaccine you are immune from contracting whatever disease it deems to protect you from. This COVID shot is simply a flu shot. Everybody who took it says “It does not stop you from getting the disease. It does not stop you from spreading the disease. It may stop you from getting really sick and dying.” Well, what the dickens does it do? Well I am not interested in finding out the hard way. When some of you start to walk backwards, I will have my answer. By the way ‘Vaccine’ also means a protectant from contracting a particular ailment. There must be a reason why health care workers are refusing it. I think it is because they are putting a lot of vaccinated persons in body bags. Let us call out to God for our protection. That is where our help comes from. And when all those vaccinated white people comes on the cruise ships and airplanes and spreads COVID all over Tortola, hope the Oil Nut Bay folks are not victims. Nonsense.
Have the vaccine and get on with your job and life, with it you don’t die and you don’t transmit it as easily. You are living in cloud cuckoo land if you think it’s anything to do with bill gates, 4G, sterility, virility, white mans eugenics. Educate yourself …
So those that took up the free lunch for a vaccine couldn’t have been so against it if that is all it took. Ever play that game, Would you do it for $X? If I was against the vaccine then it would take more than a free lunch to persuade me otherwise, but I am not against it and am happily vaccinated!!
Why not offer more incentives such as a drawing for a chance at a $1,000 prize each week if you take the vaccine? Lots of those hesitant to take it without specific reasons could definitely use an extra $1,000 in their pocket. It was quite obvious that people who were on the fence about it just needed a little incentive. To keep the majority of us safe we must have the majority of us vaccinated and if you work in the service industry and don’t or won’t take the vaccine then you need to look for another job. The majority of the jobs in the tourist industry are what keeps this economy spinning and if becoming safe by vaccination helps feed hungry mouths here then it’s a must. Don’t hold back the economy and the livelihoods of the majority by being selfish to your fellow man.
IM NOT TAKING IT AND IAM NOT LOOSING MY JOB BECAUSE I DONT WANT SOMETHING IN MY SYSTEM. PERIOD.