Stuck between a rock and a hard place.
That’s how two Government workers said they felt after they took the vaccine on Wednesday.
Last month Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced that from mid-January Government workplaces will require vaccinated staff and unvaccinated workers will be furloughed.
It’s the main reason why one employee of the National Maintenance Training and Security Company (MTS) who asked to remain anonymous decided to get vaccinated.
He spoke to Guardian Media outside the Government Campus Plaza on Richmond Street in Port of Spain.
“I do it because I have a family to mind and if it is I out of a job they will catch their tail to survive,” he said.
The man said his entire family is unvaccinated because they don’t trust the effectiveness of the vaccine but to provide for them he decided to take the jab.
“So I say let me come and do it,” he said.
A conversation he revealed was difficult to have with his wife.
“It was tense because and she keep telling me to hold out and hold on until the last minute but the way the company pushing,” he explained.
All COVID-19 vaccines used in T&T are approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and have met the necessary criteria for safety and efficacy against the disease.
The MTS worker also did not have faith in the union movement.
On Tuesday the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) called on all public sector workers to report for duty come January 17, vaccinated or not.
He said he is a union member but was not willing to take that risk.
“At the end of the day they are not putting food on your table, you can be out of work and they could still be talking,” he said.
He believes this ultimatum will see many public servants out of work by the 17.
A risk one Port-of-Spain City Corporation worker who also did not want to give his name did not want to take, identified only as King took the Johnson and Johnson vaccine but after a lot of deliberation.
He told Guardian Media that he has been employed at the corporation for over 30 years and did not want to lose his job.
“After plenty thought, you know, not just so, being there for so many years and XYZ have to pay, it does not make sense that you fall out just so,” he said.
He said he hesitated because of his spirituality but also because of “bravery and getting information.”
He took the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, while the MTS took Sinopham both men said they felt fine afterwards.
Two other Government workers came for more information before getting inoculated, they said they both felt comfortable with taking the jab after speaking to the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) officials.
They will return on Friday.
