Health boss warns against "absolute rubbish" on social media

Wednesday 19 August 2020

HSC President Heidi Soulsby has pleaded with people to trust the island's authorities and not mislead others with "absolute rubbish" on social media, after the States gave her committee the approval to move ahead with its Covid-19 vaccine plans.

Health officials are hoping that an accelerated vaccine could be available by the end of the year. HSC has succeeded in securing a change in the law so that current licensing requirements do not become a "barrier" to access.

Because of the speed at which vaccines are being developed, Deputy Heidi Souslby said it is unlikely that vaccines will have all four licensing approvals through the MHRA when they enter the supply chain. 

Pictured: It is currently proposed to prioritise the allocation of the vaccine to at-risk cohorts of the population representing approximately 35,000 people, on a voluntary basis. 

The change in the law, which was approved unanimously by the States, will allow Health & Social Care to recognise a temporary authorisation locally so that a vaccination programme can be carried out lawfully.

Deputy Soulsby reiterated that expert health officials will perform lots of checks and balances before recognising any vaccine. 

"As we say in the policy letter there is a sub-group specifically formed to look at all the risks of undertaking the vaccine," she said. "A vaccine will not be administered unless there is assurance on this matter."

Pictured: HSC Vice-President said the vaccine that officials choose will be licensed - it just won't have all of the market regulations a vaccine would normally have due to the speed of its development. 

Deputy Soulsby said the Public Health team are the right people to trust to evaluate the risks.

"We should not be listening to what somebody from somewhere, who has this inside source from somebody who works in something for what the truth is," she said, to laughter from some of her States colleagues. "We should be listening to our Director of Public Health, which we have been for the last few months.

"She has got more knowledge than anyone who posts their uninformed comment on social media."

Pictured: Deputy Soulsby said we "couldn’t have anyone better than our current Director of Public Health."

Deputy Soulsby said some of the emails she had received about the corona virus were "absolute rubbish".

"We can’t spend all our time trawling through them saying “No, sorry, you’re wrong, look at this," we just need to listen to the people in authority who we should be trusted for their ability and their knowledge. We couldn’t have anyone better than our current Director of Public Health."

Pictured top: HSC President Heidi Soulsby.