PRESIDENT of the United States, Joe Biden, while recently alluding that the current COVID-19 situation is a “pandemic of the unvaccinated”, made mention of elected officials who are actively working to undermine the fight against the disease. He pointed out that instead of encouraging people to get vaccinated, the said elected officials are ordering “mobile morgues for the unvaccinated dying in their communities”.

His term “pandemic politics”, is in reference to the elected officials who are not helping the cause and who “are making people sick, causing unvaccinated people to die”. He emphasised, “We cannot allow these actions to stand in the way of protecting the large majority of Americans who have done their part and want to get back to life as normal.”

He announced that the Department of Labour is developing an emergency rule to require all employers with 100 or more employees, to ensure their workforces are fully vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week.

With regard to healthcare, President Biden noted, “If you’re seeking care at a health facility, you should be able to know that the people treating you are vaccinated.” He emphasised, “If you want to work with the federal government and do business with us, get vaccinated.”

Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Hon. Gaston Browne, recently pointed out in an address the grave threat from vaccine hesitancy which he believes may be a bigger peril to the Caribbean than climate change. He asked the question, “How many more people must die in this country before we start taking the vaccination seriously?”

He stated his Cabinet’s decision that all public servants must get vaccinated or get tested twice monthly or they would not be eligible to enter the work place. He further stated that if they don’t come to work they cannot justify getting paid and absence from work over a period of time, employment would be lost. He added that his office compels him to act in the national interest.

The bottom line is that government must act in the best interest of the people and according to President Biden, “We’re going to protect vaccinated workers from unvaccinated co-workers.”

Here in Guyana, the Dr. Irfaan Ali administration has made several COVID-19 vaccines freely and easily available for the general public, including adolescents. The government has and continues to demonstrate a profound sense of responsibility in putting measures in place to protect the citizenry from this deadly pandemic with a mutating virus and to ensure the economy is not stagnated.

It is a fact that many countries are not as fortunate as Guyana with regard to COVID-19 vaccination. It is also a fact that, like other countries, including the United States, Guyana has elected officials from the Opposition who are leading the charge against vaccination. There is no doubt that effort is rooted in politics rather than science.

Many are of the view that the Opposition-led antivax campaign is premised on their hope that without vaccination the situation worsens thereby allowing them the opportunity to blame the government. Even the mere thought of that kind of thinking is deep in the realm of, morbidity, recklessness and being irresponsible.

Prime Minister Browne stated, “Our civilisation within the Caribbean is now at risk because of ignorance” and pointed out the irony that “If we don’t act, they will still blame us. So let us act, do what we are required to do to protect the citizenry, to protect lives and livelihoods.”

It’s no different in Guyana. If the government doesn’t act, the opposition will be the first to cast blame. Even as the government acts, the opposition is calling for protest and shutdown against interventions that are designed to safeguard the welfare of all citizens. That clearly questions whether the opposition is really concerned about the safety of people, including their own supporters.

Given that action speaks louder than words, the answer is unambiguous as they try to foster a pandemic of the unvaccinated.