The British Virgin Islands is scheduled to receive some 3040 additional COVID-19 vaccines by Monday July 19, and 15,000 home kits from the United Kingdom Government.
Minister for Health Carvin Malone made the disclosure during a recent COVID-19 update to the territory last evening.
He said, “As you may be well aware, the current doses of vaccines that we have will expire on July 31st, but we have continued to administer first doses and the rate of administration is not high enough. We need that rate to be increased, because the governor in Cabinet today indicated that another 3040 doses will be supplied on the 19th of July 2021 and this batch will expire sometime in August.”
“In August they have committed to more but it’s not going to make any sense for us to continue to get these doses if we do not use them effectively. We have to know that it’s a matter lives and it is a matter of livelihoods. It’s not just conversation anymore, this is real,” the Minister explained.
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in discussion
Minister Malone also revealed that his government has been in discussions with the relevant authorities to secure additional versions of the vaccines for those persons who may not want to take the UK’s AstraZeneca vaccine.
These options will include the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines which are administered in the United States.
“We have also been in contact and we’ll find ways of which those persons requiring the Pfizer, Moderna vaccines could possibly have access to them if this is your only hold up for this. We would seek ways of which we can do this, we will give you a hotline number which to call and we will see how this can be done,” he stated.
“Everything must be done to return the Virgin Islands to the Virgin Islands that we can roam free but able to do this without the fear of this virus,” he added.
This vaccine update comes at a time where the government has been pushing for more persons to seek vaccination, to help curb the current spike in COVID-19 cases that the territory is experiencing.
According to the health officials, approximately 80 percent of the territory’s population must be vaccinated if the BVI is to reach their goal of herd immunity.