London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

First 10 receive COVID vaccine in BVI today

First 10 receive COVID vaccine in BVI today

Ten persons including members of the British Virgin Islands government and the Opposition were first in line to receive the first dosage of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital this morning.

Of the 10, the government members included Health Minister Carvin Malone who was the first person to be vaccinated, Natural Resource Minister Vincent Wheatley and Speaker of the House, Julian Willock.

The Opposition members include leader Marlon Penn and Representative of the Fourth District, Mark Vanterpool.

Governor John Rankin also received his dosage as the second person in line, along with Chief Medical Officer Dr Irad Potter and Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ronald Georges.

Media personality Cathy Richards became the first female in the territory to take the vaccine while the Health Minister’s wife was the second.

Premier to take vaccine next week


Following the absence of Premier Andrew Fahie not being a part of the officials leading by example in taking the vaccine, questions were raised by the media as to why he had opted out.

Premier Fahie said he wanted to ensure all the relevant persons who need the vaccine get it first, as the territory only presently has a limited number of vaccines that can reach 4,000 persons.

He, however, assured the public he will be taking the vaccine on a date to be announced for next week and invited the media to attend to witness the occasion.

“Next week I’m going to be vaccinated, allowing with due respect the Governor who has worked hard with the United Kingdom to bring the 8,000 dosages and the Minister of Health and the rest of the front line, and some other members said they want to go ahead,” Fahie stated.

He added: “I’ve made a decision to allow our front line to as many as possible, especially in the health care section to get ahead and next week I will be taking the vaccine. It’s as simple as that.”

Registration portal to come for vaccination process


In the meantime, Acting CMO Dr Georges said the health officials will be using a registration portal to ensure a safe and effective roll-out of the vaccination process across the territory.

“Once the portal is up — and it probably should be up today — they can register online. The numbers will be published very soon, they can call in and they can register. So what we’ll be doing is collecting their information and putting it into an electronic immunization register. So that means that we will be capturing all the data that we require,” Dr Georges explained.

He added: “The first week or so we’ll be doing mostly the healthcare workers and the frontline workers, after that we would be looking to open up the vaccination centres and allowing other persons to basically be scheduled to be vaccinated. So once those are open, we begin scheduling the persons who have registered to come in and be vaccinated.”

Important to register to avoid issues


Dr Georges further stressed the importance of residents utilising the portal as opposed to walking into the nine facilities across the BVI which he said will be announced in short order.

He said this measure is to minimize any chances of errors and to ensure all the correct details are aligned with the specific patient getting the vaccine.

“It’s very important for us to make sure that persons who get their first dose are able to get their second dose, so that’s why we’re taking the time to make sure that all of this is done in an orderly fashion,” he stated.

The second dosage is usually administered between four and 12 weeks, but according to the Acting CMO, it may be provided six weeks after receiving the first dosage.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×