Even as residents of the British Virgin Islands are still hesitating to get their jabs to fight against COVID-19, Governor John Rankin has appealed to the United Kingdom for fresh vaccines for the territory.
This was revealed by Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon. Carvin Malone.
The Minister said in a recent update, “Governor Rankin has advised Cabinet that given the continuing upsurge throughout the territory, his office has made an appeal to the UK government for the supply of additional
vaccines.”
He continued: “He (Rankin) has further reported that the current UK stock of
vaccines will expire on August 21 2021, and therefore it is preferred that any new supply to the BVI would be secured from new deliveries to the UK, which would expire at a later time.”
The Health Minister in the meantime, informed that the territory’s current supply of
vaccines will expire on July 31 2021.
“In addition to the second doses that are being reserved for persons who would have already received their first doses by July 3. Cabinet has decided to continue the administration of first doses to persons now desirous of being vaccinated.”
He added that any “Additional UK donations of
vaccines would in a large part depend on a number of additional persons receiving their first doses between July 4 and July 31. We are in this together, but you must do your part.”
The UK has already supplied 34,000 doses of the
AstraZeneca vaccine.
Meanwhile, Hon. Malone said Premier and Minister for Finance Hon. Andrew
Fahie said his administration will continue to do everything within its reach “to secure additional
vaccines for administration throughout the territory if our people are desirous of being vaccinated.”
The current
COVID-19 cases stand at 659 as of July 7.