VACCINATION against influenza A\H1N1 has begun and Health Minister Jerry Narace was among the first to receive.

’And I do not feel sick, or nauseous or anything,’ he told the Express after receiving his shot yesterday.

According to the minister, the reason why he is allowing people to see him take the shot is because he wants to show the ’there is nothing to be worried about’.

’There are people who are saying they are scared and they are worried about the vaccine, but I just want to say they have nothing to worry about. The vaccine is safe and we are following all WHO (World Health Organisation) guidelines,’ he said.

Following the arrival of the first 50,000 doses from the Pan American Health Organisation last week, administration of the vaccine has begun for the priority groups, such as frontline health care workers, national security workers and essential decision makers.

According to the ministry, however, ’other high priority groups are expected to receive their inoculations as the week continues’.

In the meanwhile, the ministry stated in a press release that it had received confirmation that another 20,000 vaccines should arrive in the country today, while another batch of 80,000 is expected sometime in December while an additional 140,000 vaccines will arrive in January 2010.

’This will provide coverage for 20 per cent of the population of Trinidad and Tobago, while the average coverage in other countries is ten per cent,’ the statement read.

On the other hand, the Congress of the People (COP) is again calling on the ministry to provide full information on the vaccine to alert people of all the possible consequences of taking it.

’It is a known scientific fact that the H1N1 vaccines are not for everyone because of known side effects including allergic reactions, paralysis, and even death, but this has not been made clear to the anxious public,’ according to COP healthcare spokesman, Dr Navi Muradali.

Muradali insisted that the ministry should not only promote the vaccine via a media campaign, but also inform the public as to the long list of contra-indications or reasons why they should not take the vaccine, including the side-effects.

’Especially as the vaccine has not been extensively tested as was done with other vaccines,’ he said.

In addition to that, Muradali believes that the ministry should address international reports of deaths allegedly associated with the H1N1 vaccine, and the vaccine manufacturer’s warning of developing Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a paralysing condition, which has in the past been associated with similar vaccines containing mercury and thimerosal.

Nevertheless, Narace maintains that the vaccines are safe.