Last Updated on September 3, 2021, 7:46 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Basseterre: Health authorities in St Kitts and Nevis applaud a large number of citizens and residents who have willingly stepped forward to receive a jab of the COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves and their loved ones from the deadly COVID-19 virus.
At the end of the workday on Wednesday, September 01, 2021, statistics from the Ministry of Health revealed that 73.5 percent of the adult population received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The goal is to vaccinate at least 33,037 adults. As such, the 73.5 percent equals 24,282 people. The percentage of people who were fully vaccinated with a second dose was 66.3 percent or 21,906.
“This is a great achievement,” said Dr Hazel Laws, chief medical officer, said Wednesday during the COVID-19 Briefing by the National Emergency Operations Center. “Our vaccination coverage is extremely good compared to the other OECS (Organization of Eastern Caribbean States) and other CARICOM (Caribbean Community) member countries.”
“I want to interrupt our people and praise that they came on board to accept the COVID-19,” she added.
The high vaccination rate is likely to increase following the rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on September 1 in the Two-Island Federation. The vaccine, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is available to people 12 years of age and older. Health officials set a goal to fully vaccinate 4,800 people between the ages of 12 and 17.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which was offered locally at the end of February this year, was available exclusively to adults. The stock has since been depleted. The government is working hard to acquire extra COVID-19 vaccines.
Dr Laws have strongly encouraged individuals to step forward to protect the Federation from the global economic and social devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on the storage requirements, individuals should make an appointment at the nearest health center before receiving the life-saving Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Appointments can also be made by telephone at 662-8216.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
