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by pltm
(PLTM) - As a precautionary measure, the British Virgin Islands COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine rollout will be temporarily halted due to the delay in the second shipment from the United Kingdom.
Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon. Carvin Malone made the announcement during a live radio broadcast on Tuesday, 2 March.
“We have the situation where we have now reached to where the other shipment was due in on 3 March and it is now being delayed to the 17th. So we made a promise to everyone taking it that we would have the second dose reserved. When the other shipment arrives we will then disperse, and we will continue in that regard so that anyone taking it will not risk for any reason this being done,” he explained.
He continued: “We are now to a point where we had to make a decision on where do we go? The other shipment is not due until 17 March. We are being encouraged to continue to roll it [the vaccine] out, but the fact remains that if it is not here, then we would be breaking that promise that we made, and we know how you feel about it if you give your word and if you take this dose today you would be reserved.”
Minister Malone stated that while the delayed shipment would arrive within the 12 weeks, “at the end of the day, we know that there are issues on hand when it comes to the AstraZeneca and the supply chain, there are challenges and we do not want to fall in to the particular situation where the second dose is being called upon for anyone who received it that they don’t have it.”
Meanwhile, the Health Minister has assured residents that the promised shipments will arrive.
He informed that to date, some 4,450 persons has been vaccinated in the territory from the UK’s first shipment.
In the meantime, talk show host and government consultant Claude Skelton Cline had also addressed the matter on his show last night.
He said: “I understand from the government that as of today I think it is, of the 8,000 units, 4000 plus persons have been served, and after verifying with the Minister, I think that after today there will be no more jabs in the arms,” due to the delay.
“The government has made a decision that they would stop because they want all the people who got the first jab to have their second jab available at the appropriate time,” he added.
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