BVI News

8K vaccines coming! Healthcare and law enforcement first priority

Governor Augustus Jaspert has announced that the UK government will donate and deliver some 8,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the BVI next month.

Yesterday, Premier Andrew Fahie appeared on the Honestly Speaking radio show and confirmed that in dispensing the shots, healthcare workers and law enforcement officers will be given priority.

He also confirmed that all is in place for the vaccines to arrive by February 15.

A release from the Governor’s Office said the government will be responsible for managing the rollout and distribution of the vaccine in the territory. The release also promised that further doses of the vaccine will be provided to BVI by the UK as rollout plans develop.

“Health officials are working on plans for how to most effectively do this following a visit from Public Health England to discuss plans in December. Current advice from the World Health Organisation and Public Health England states that as many people as possible should take the vaccine. It will be offered on a voluntary basis in BVI,” the release said.

Last year, the UK government promised to provide all Overseas Territories with COVID-19 vaccines. 

The BVI will be receiving the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. This vaccine was given regulatory approval by the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on 30 December 2020, after a rigorous, detailed scientific review by medical experts. 

“It has already been rolled out to thousands of individuals across the UK and is favoured for its more simple storage requirements compared to other vaccines,” the statement from the Governor’s Office assured.

UK/BVI relationship special

Governor August Jaspert said the vaccines give the BVI the opportunity to be one of the safest places to live and visit. 

“It is a clear signal of the UK and BVI’s special partnership and I am thankful to the UK for this generous donation which comes at no cost to BVI. Our Health Services and public officials have been doing a fantastic job to fight COVID-19 and I hope the arrival of the vaccine from the UK will be an extra boost to help defeat the virus.” 

Previous UK support

According to the release from the Governor’s Office, the vaccines come amid a steady stream of COVID-19 related support from the UK. 

“Throughout 2020, the UK provided more than $1.4 million worth of medical equipment including testing kits, ventilators, protective gear, laboratory supplies, mobile isolation units and a new testing machine that has given the BVI the capability to run real-time PCR tests in territory for the first time. This is not only enabling BVI’s medical professionals to respond to the virus but also building the long-term capacity of our local health services,” the release stated.

 

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12 Comments

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  1. PC says:

    Thankyou UK!

    Like 30
    Dislike 4
  2. Bruh says:

    Which law enforcement? Ya’ll wilding mehn. Is this bu force?!

    Like 1
    Dislike 1
  3. Earl says:

    Hopefully it will be distributed to those that need it, rather than friends and family like after Irma !

    Like 28
    Dislike 2
  4. Hmmmm says:

    If you read the other site you would swear they are sending anthrax to inject the BVI people. The Premier and his supporters are becoming as dangerous or worst than Trump supporters in the USA and we are seeing how that is turning out. BVI people please wake up and see what is going on before it’s far too late.

    Like 25
    Dislike 4
  5. Just Wrong says:

    OK, so with all of this “Independence” talk, just what would we do for Vaccine without the UK ?

    Like 25
    Dislike 2
  6. Anonymous says:

    Low level thinking has never and will never produce high level thoughts.

  7. UnionJack says:

    Be thankful for your imperial overlords. Where would you be without the kindness of foreign nations? And yet many belongers’ attitudes toward people from these countries is nothing but disgust. don’t bite the hand that saves (and feeds).

    Like 7
    Dislike 5
  8. staff says:

    I think the first persons for this vaccines should be

    police
    hospital and clinic employees(doctors, nurses, and staffing)etc.
    fire

    those are the very important persons to be tested

  9. What says:

    8k?… that is it?

    You need 36k to cover everyone? Just get it done and stop prolonging. Don’t wait for the gov. Just go and buy it and get the island back to norm. Whatever you pay, you recover and then some by economy recovery… stop be begger and get going

    Like 3
    Dislike 3
  10. Vaccine ID Card? says:

    Many of us may be traveling in and out of the BVI and can we have a ID card/passport number showing we were vaccinated so that we can come and go without going through all the protocol on our return flights.

    Like 2
    Dislike 2
  11. People says:

    A vaccine do not prevent you from catching a virus,why is it so hard for some people to understand that. This vaccine has not been thoroughly tested and proven, yet there is a rush to receive. Remember you cannot sue anyone for any side effects, you just have to take what you get and live with it. Think about that.

    • Tom says:

      Yup …. sit at home, wait for the end of the world, let’s not Science foul you …. of course vaccination is not designed to prevent you from catching a virus … they just put a chip in your body….

      Like 1
      Dislike 1

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