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.
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Hey Professor Pothole
We haven’t heard from you in months… but now there is a vaccine to be taken and all of a sudden Vanterpool is first in line.
Shame on you.
Like that vaccine does make your n!pp/e$ hard…..look joke
This is a stupid comment. Everyone CANNOT take vaccines. You have no idea of his personal health situation. People need to worry about themselves and leave others alone. There are many reasons a person cannot or would not take the COVID vaccine.
Why politicians???????
Because in ordinary countries they make sure the country is lead and that decisions are made and that no chaos erupts. We all know these “leaders” have no such skill but in theory it makes sense.
They need to stop with I did my part, now you do yours as though people should base their health decisions on what Politicians do about theirs
If you’re severely disabled as a result of a vaccination against certain diseases, you could get a one-off tax-free payment of £120,000. This is called a Vaccine Damage Payment.
UK Vaccine Damage Payment is a tax free one-off payment of £120,000.
https://www.gov.uk/vaccine-damage-payment/what-youll-get
15 million done in UK now. No one has claimed it.
Not true, they have listed 59,614 reactions, of which 143 died from the Pfizer- BioNTech vaccine alone…
At least 37 million coronavirus vaccinations have been administered in Germany, Spain, the United States, Norway, Belgium, and Peru according to Bloomberg’s global vaccine tracker.
In those countries, the total number of reported deaths that have occurred post-vaccination is around 350. As US data includes user-submitted information, at least 181 of these cases have not been independently verified.
Almost all of those who passed away were elderly people with underlying health problems and the cause of death may or may not be coincidental to having received the vaccine. We will never know because they didn’t bother to verify.
Having said that, 350 deaths represent 0.0010% of the total number of people vaccinated.
I’ll take my chances with the vaccine. The percentage of people who die from getting COVID-19 is closer to 3%. Numbers tell the tale. If it’s my time to go … then so be it.
These contrivance (being designated vaccines) are in the very early experimental stage:
When you see the Consent Form you will see at the top –
‘I recognise that the vaccine is experimental and has been authorised for emergency use only, it is not an approved vaccine’.
‘I am aware that there is no guarantee that the administration of the vaccine will prevent my becoming infected with the COVID-19 virus. I understand that to be effective a second dose is required’.
et cetera
You are entering into Experimental Medical Trial. Typically a trial for new pharmaceuticals last ten years, particularly for very new technology. There are a number of items on the Consent Form that are peculiar. One for example: there is no virus called COVID-19.
The UK had this benefit in place to claim LONG before covid…..because ALL vaccinations can have adverse effects in a minority of people.
It’s taken the BVI a week to get the first people vaccinated after the drugs arrived on 4 February 2021. This is a typical example of the lack of planning and vision that has plagued the BVI for the last 30 years. Why didn’t the Government have a plan ready to go just as soon as the drugs arrived and advised to the public in advance? What hasn’t there been a strong education campaign to educate the population on the benefits of inoculation and the safety of the drugs? Why has Anguilla, whose drugs arrived on the same day as the BVI got ours, already used them all and has the vision to inoculate so many of its people that it can open its tourist industry and reap the economic gain? Yet again, the BVI ruling class reveals its ineptitude and lack of real vision, and the people suffer. Lavity Stoutt must be rolling in his grave in horror at how his vision has died at the hands of his successors….
You can’t lead from Behind.
I agree! Why are we so slow to start vaccinations. Ten people? This is ridiculous!!!
10 a day …. you have to think how SLOWWWWWW they moved zero pain …
those people should get a raise …
I fully agree. No VISION in the BVI, No PLANNNING in the BVI, shame on you health services for not using the last 14 months of the pandemic to have a complete roll-out plan available
Vaccination cards will be issued to everyone getting Covid-19 vaccine?
The current thinking is that vaccinated people will be issued with a QI code. The code will be read at airports etc before you can travel.
I am sick to my stomach to see how the introduction of such a key component in fighting this virus was turned into a political spectacle today. Firstly, why was the Premier even there and acting as MC when he said he wasn’t taking the vaccine and didn’t take it. Why weren’t the health services top brass the ones handling this and explaining the importance of taking this vaccine to the public? Instead you had a Premier with no medical background commentating during the shots just to get political points. And what’s worse is the speaker and the video circulating. Everything cannot be a joke. If I didn’t already make my mind up to take the vaccine based on my own research, the foolishness I saw there this morning would not have encouraged me one bit to take it.
I am tired of all this. We need some real leaders. We need to get rid of these imposters trying to act as leaders. Andrew, I am sorry but you are of no use to this country and where it needs to go. Getting rid of you is urgent. You’re an embarrassment.
Is there any (sensible) reason at all as to why all of the jabs couldnt have been issued within a week of arrival?
no
Why wasn’t there a plan in place to register from the date they knew they were receiving any vaccine. Now 1 week after arrival still no place to register just talk.
Is Fahie frightened of a little needle?
This is what the people voted for. Everything is about posting nonsense and hyping up instead of substance. Vaccines here over a week and we are hooraying about 10 people, mainly politicians being vaccinated. And we are supposed to believe that COVID is so bad and the government loves the people so much? They need to grow up and put aside the stupid politics.
She not even wearing gloves
So wait why that … Andrew Fahie ain’t take it first
what the hell I am seeing no damn gloves hahah those unprofessional people GOSH!!!!!!!
ok, Spain is prosecuting politicians because they took the jab before front liner, here in the BVI they are the first to be vaccinated. very interesting.
Why were we not registering for the vaccination a month ago? Why did we wait a week then give the vaccine to members of the goverment? When are we going to start injecting large numbers of people that wish the vaccine? Why for the love of God can’t we ever plan ahead? Why is Anguilla so much better at this than us?
I had the Astrazenica vaccine 2 weeks ago, it could save your life. Millions in the UK have it already and it works. What’s not to like?
You don’t know it works since you can STILL get the virus and there are persons who have died within hours of getting it
@Sick to my stomach I think you said it for most of us, The whole government needs to go we can t go the next two years with these guys.
I am not taking s**t.. I dont trust it. If it’s God will I die from this will so be it. Nothing man made is safe. I’m not doing it. To help with who did it already. That’s on them
Nothing man made is safe? really?
if you trust god so much , take the vaccine and god will take it from there … he will take care of you either way and science wont hurt either.
At the same time … supply it short so its ok to skip, others will take you spot,
So you basically saying put the vaccine before God? Okay then ?
You fools who call believers even listen to yourselves sometimes? So easily manipulated.
am being ironic …
Health is a failure, Need better Public relations and Coordination,,,,Immigration and Labour is a failure, need a softer and more compassionate tone,,, Agriculture is a failure,,,I will suggest you make some serious changes try something different,, What we have isn’t working,,, Promote Ms Caines to Health and Agriculture,, Promote Ms Decasto to immigration and Labour, Give The ladies an opportunity to lead,, The men have failed us,,, They are not leading,,
WHY was
Media personality Cathy Richards
The first female to get the vaccine
REALLY????
Come on BVI we can do better than this
Looks like we just pulling names out of a hat
SAD
DEPRESSING !!!!!!
Even more important question, why didn’t they register persons BEFORE they had the roll out so that they wouldn’t look like fools asking for volunteers?
we are luck the BVI is so small… at this rate, within 3999 days we will be done … ~ 10 years to go.
Same negative person who hates the government blogging over and over. What a pity.
We need leadership with value, Leadership that is a plus,,, Leadership that leads,,, It’s obvious that the minister is not in charge of health,,, Some one who has no idea how to plan or them there infighting and getting nothing done,, Registration should have been done for the vaccine at least two months before the vaccine arrives hence when the vaccine get here we will be full speed running have a waiting list,,, Now trying to register people this is so embarrassing a gross failure,,, Fahie need to switch These ministry up
So Fahie says he doesnt want to use up valuable vaccine, even tho when you watch the broadcast 2 people from the audience get the ‘spare’ doses !!! He scared … great leadership
The VIP government has decided to subject it people to the world of experimental objets and guinea pigs.
Given the history of mdicines and vaccines, where both were/are used as deadly weapons against Black people, the VIP governent should have independently tested those vaccines for the safety, and then inform the public.
Such a verification would have done a lot to inprove the confidence and reduce the skeptisism of those who will not take the vaccine.
However, despite outcrys and calls for such a procedure to be undertaken, the VIP government has decided to ignore those calls, put their confidence in the UK, and place the people of the BVI at risk.
4,000/10 days=400 days. Keep up the pace.
Scammers calling me pretending to be isis lol get a life