Former Governor General of Saint Lucia Dame Pearlette Louisy recently took the COVID-19 vaccine and encourages all to do the same to protect themselves, their families and others. Dame Pearlette Louisy spoke on her personal decision to get vaccinated and the experience of doing so.
āIt was a breeze. I mean I have done this thing before. I have been vaccinated before; smallpox and think I was vaccinated for Malaria once when I travelled to Africa and it was nothing more than doing blood work. It is just like going to the lab and you barely feel it. I have to admit that I was a bit apprehensive in the beginning but with time and with getting myself educated, reading about it, weighing the pros and the cons and saying if I have trusted doctors for the past 70 years, I think I can trust them still.ā
The Former Governor General says although taking the COVID-19 vaccine is voluntary by individuals and people may have fear, she would definitely encourage other individuals to take the leap of faith and get vaccinated.
āI know there is quite a bit of vaccine hesitancy abroad fueled by the most part what people read particularly on social media, contradictions even among health professionals so people are questioning. As I have said before, you trust the doctors with the medications he gives you and donāt ask why it is good for your body and the vaccine is no different from your Diabetes medicine, your Cholesterol medicine or your Hypertensive medicine. For quite a few people, I think it is just being afraid of the needle, it is really needle phobia and not really what is going to do to your body, so I will encourage people to take it.ā
The Ministry of Health encourages individuals to pre-register for the COVID-19 vaccine via the online platform at hmi.govt.lc or at your nearest Community Wellness Center.