The following edited letter was addressed primarily to the Premier and Minister of Health, and has been sent to every member of the legislature, Government House, and numerous religious and community leaders

Dear Sir,

I would like to take advantage of our access to information and request that the public be given access to view online or otherwise Bermuda's copy of any contract that it has directly or indirectly with the Pfizer corporation and the release of our receiving vaccines from this corporation, or any other corporation — be it Moderna, Johnson & Johnson or Novavax.

It is the right of the people to know this information, as it pertains to their lives also. I have requested some time ago from your office and the Department of Health a copy of all the ingredients that are contained within each vaccine that Bermuda is giving the people of Bermuda at present, and any future vaccine it intends on giving.

I find that your government at present is very disingenuous when it comes to being direct with these lines of questioning, and the Minister of Health avoids answering directly to any line of questioning that opposes her view on the subject matter. No amount of restrictions that you impose now or in the future will change the facts that are, and continue to unfold, on the world scene. There are too many falsehoods being pushed by governments around the world, and Bermuda is no exception.

I am a very concerned Bermudian that has the right to know what contract does Bermuda or the British Government have in place with any corporation in reference to the vaccines — Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and the latest, Novavax. There are thousands of Bermudians, I am sure, who would like the same information. Let us be the judge of our own decisions on the vaccines, and not be forced or demanded to take a route that you have chosen on our behalf when the majority are not in favour. For the record, I don't agree with your statement that vaccines are the only way to go to protect us from this disease, or to take us away from further lockdowns.

Please learn how to listen to both sides of the equation. Not all people who oppose the vaccines are making videos in their basements and garages, as you also claim. There are very reliable sources of medical researchers, medical scientists and vaccine Specialists who have given years of service in this arena, and who are not anti-vaccine — but they don’t support the present vaccines being rolled out and give legitimate reasons as to why. So, again, please answer accordingly to the people of Bermuda what we want to know and not what you choose to tell us. Please.

A copy of the contract Bermuda has with the vaccine corporations and/or a copy of the contract the British Government has on behalf of its Overseas Territories, along with a listing of all ingredients contained within each vaccine. Anything short of this means that you and your government have failed the people of Bermuda.

We the people would like to also hear on the floor of the House of Assembly, and also the Upper House in the Senate, an open and honest debate on the present circumstances surrounding the pandemic and the rollout of the vaccines. It would be reassuring to know how all of our politicians feel — elected officials, backbenchers and the Opposition.

This is too important of an issue for all sides not to be heard. And if people start dropping dead or start to develop long-term effects because of these vaccines, we the people need to remember on whose watch this occurred. If nothing of this nature takes place, we would have your administration to thank, but you are not being forthcoming to have the discussion openly for both sides to present.

This is a grave travesty and it's borderline dictatorship under the guise of health concerns for an entire country of people whose majority doesn't agree with the taking of the vaccines. The people must be commended because we have adhered to the restrictions and regulations at present, but we are not all in favour of the vaccines. So please open the discussion in the House of Assembly and the Senate, and let us hear the pros and the cons, and when restrictions will be lifted.

Please let us have the town hall meetings openly for all to participate. This is not an unfair request; after all, you all have said this is a life-threatening situation — life-threatening to those of you who believe not taking the vaccine is life-threatening and life-threatening to us who believe taking the vaccine can possibly lead to our death short term, or long term through many health complications because of taking the Vaccines. Either way, it's a conversation that needs to be had, and both the Premier and health minister have made this a one-sided conversation.

No matter how much progress you believe that we have made since our first case of Covid-19 on March 18, 2020, we have all been in this learning process together, and we have all learnt that there is a lot of propaganda going on and falsehoods in the midst of a real health pandemic.

Transparency doesn't seem to be part of your present agenda, you have a medical team that has less experience than all the medical researchers and vaccine scientist that are giving reports that oppose the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reports, and is causing the CDC to back down in several areas. So this is something that needs addressing also. Restrictions in the United States are being lifted in almost 20 states that don't have herd immunity, but yet we have people that are vaccinated in Bermuda still having to adhere to restrictions. It’s pointless to a large degree.

Either the vaccines will help us or they won’t. At present, you cannot offer us a guarantee because neither of you have a degree in medical research, irrespective of the professionals you choose to listen to at present, so we the people are awaiting for your government to address our concerns — just as you have accommodated those who are in favour of the present approach you have taken towards the Covid-19 pandemic and the vaccines.

DUANE P. SANTUCCI

Pembroke