Some 4040 doses of the Pfizer vaccine are scheduled to arrive in the British Virgin Islands on Monday December 13 once there are no shipment delays.
This is according to Minister for Health and Social Development Carvin Malone, who made the disclosure during a recent interview with 284News.
He said the Pfizer vaccines which are being procured by the United Kingdom government, were given the green light to be shipped, after the territory recently received one of two ultra-cold freezers to store the vaccines.
“The British have indicated that they would dispatch 4040 doses of Pfizer vaccines in the first instance and they would become available shortly thereafter. As I have mentioned, announcements will be made as to when and where these will be administered. You would also recall that we have made provisions before this for persons to go St. Johns, United States Virgin Islands for the administration of the Pfizer vaccine. But now that we will receive it on the 13th of December, it is critical for us to understand that there is going to be a protocol for the administration of the vaccine,” he stated.
Elderly and children to be prioritized
Minister Malone outlined the protocol, stating that the elderly and children ages 12 to 17, will be given first priority.
He said, “The elderly or those persons 60 and above will be given first preference. Also too would be given first preference would be the young people between the ages of 12 to 17. As you would recall, AstraZeneca was not approved for those ages, but Pfizer has been so it is our immediate intention to administer the vaccines to the most vulnerable groups and to children.”
Booster shots to follow similar protocol
The health minister also said that the booster shots to be provided will follow a similar protocol.
He said for those who do not want to have the Pfizer vaccine as their booster shot, they will have the option of taking a third AstraZeneca shot as their booster.
“For the elderly it will be the booster, for the children ages 12 to 17, those who did not participate in the programme for St. John, they may well be taking their first shot. So yes, there is a booster programme as it relates to those persons. You would recall that I was the first to receive my AstraZeneca, I received my second shot and now I’ll be eligible based on my age to be administered with the booster,” he said.
He added, “There are those persons who their form of booster would be in that of a third shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine as opposed to the Pfizer booster. So that will be available to persons also who wish to be administered with the AstraZeneca as a third shot/booster or with the Pfizer itself.”
Persons encouraged to get vaccinated
With the COVID-19 virus continuing to impact global economies, Minister Malone also encouraged those residents who are yet to get inoculated, to do so sooner than later.
He said the COVID-19 vaccine provides a layer of protection to the virus which continues to mutate as seen with the newest variant of concern, the Omicron variant.
“There is hesitancy still throughout the world. You would recall that nations who are even first world countries as it relates to persons being hesitant and as it relates to vaccines. We would only promote that it is the most effective, scientific method known at this time to avoid the increase of hospitalization and increase of death as a result of the virus,” he said.
“We have moved from the Alpha variant to where we are now with the Omicron. So it is critical for us to understand that we are not out of the woods. The world is struggling to get full effects of this to when we can see the end of the devastation, economic, health and otherwise being caused by this virus. So each of us would be encouraged to do our part so we can then see the other side of this global pandemic,” Malone further explained.