By Prior Beharry
VACCINE manufacturers should be made liable for their products.
This is a means of ending Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy.
This is the suggestion being made by head of the Citizens Union on Trinidad and Tobago Phillip Edward Alexander.
In a release on Friday, he said, “Want to reduce vaccine hesitancy? How about we end all liability waivers for vaccine manufacturers. The rule is simple: you sell it, you’re responsible for it.
“If they refuse, then we will not take the vaccine, if you are so confident in your vaccine, you should not have any liability protection if it harms me or my child.”
He said all vaccines come with efficacy claims and risk warning determined by he company.
Alexander added, “If the aggregate experience with these drugs diverges materially from these claims, manufacturers are held liable.
“You lie, you pay. You get it wrong, you pay. You miss something and kill people, you pay.”
He said this would seriously impact what was being referred to as vaccine hesitancy.
Alexander said, “People are hesitant because the vaccine manufacturers are unwilling to defend what they are promoting.”
He said, “Bullying and insulting the public won’t change it. Threats of forced vaccinations won’t either, so stop it. Nobody wants the country to descend into chaos and violence.
“Want to reduce hesitancy? Stand by your product. Make vaccine manufacturers, government and public health professionals liable for the products they are trying to convince the public to use.”
