Dr Princeton Brown, physician and COVID-19 specialist, is urging persons who are vaccine hesitant to use their freedom of choice responsibly and get vaccinated, as the pandemic is causing deaths.
He made the appeal while addressing the JN Circle Thrive Together Life Class recently. These Life Classes are a three-part online series, aimed at preparing participants to navigate uncomfortable discussions about the COVID-19 vaccination.
“COVID-19 is a levelling disease, it doesn’t matter how much money you have, if there is no oxygen in the island, you can’t buy oxygen. It doesn’t matter in which echelon of society you fall, this will affect you,” he said.
“It is killing (the virus). My thing is if someone is offering you the slightest chance of prevention from the extremes of this disease, why not take it?” he asked.
Cordel ‘Skatta’ Burrell, entertainment executive and dancehall producer, who contracted the virus, said that he is grateful for the support he received from his family members during his illness.
He was also sympathetic towards persons who are terminally ill and have contracted the virus. He underscored the importance of expressing gratitude for health and strength. Mr Burrell cautioned persons against the vaccine to be more responsible.
“The people who trying to create an uprising and mayhem, they are not doing anything good for this country, because there is a lot of stuff that they are to create mayhem about, such as the crime and violence, but they are not,” he pointed out.
He said some persons in the entertainment industry have had COVID-19, but they refuse to admit that they were wrong in not supporting the drive for vaccination, especially after being afflicted by the virus.
The JN Circle Thrive Together Life Class is a special series developed by The Jamaica National Group as part of its COVID-10 Vaccination Campaign: Immunise Saves Lives. The campaign is in support of the national COVID-19 vaccination programme and will arm people with information so they can make the best decision to protect themselves and their families, and place the country back on track to achieving its development goals.
The episode was held on the topic ‘The Virus and the Vaccine: Dispelling Myths about COVID-19’. Other topics explored include, ‘Let’s Talk COVID-19: Navigating Vaccine Hesitancy and Relationships’.