COMMISSIONER of Prisons Dennis Pulchan says that about 333 out of 3,650 prisoners in Trinidad and Tobago have been vaccinated.
He was speaking at a press conference of the Ministry of National Security on Friday.
He said, “We have started off our vigorous vaccine programme and to date we have vaccinated pretty close to 333 inmates.”
The commissioner said it was the intention of the prison service to vaccinate most of the inmates.
Pulchan said prison officers have been educating prisoners on the benefits of taking the vaccine but also battled propaganda being spread on social media.
He said, “There is propaganda out there and the propaganda is very strong … but basically it boil down to choice.”
Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds also added that he also paid a trip to the women’s prison to encourage the prisoners to take the vaccine for self-protection.
He said Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh was organising a team of professionals to visit the prisons in an effort to vaccinate prisoners.
Minister Hinds said that this education using the prison broadcasting system may come as early as Sunday to counter the propaganda on social media with facts from professionals.
