NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (November 23, 2021)- – Premier Hon. Mark Brantley, Minister of Health in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) is once again urging the people of Nevis to get vaccinated against the deadly COVD-19 disease.
He did so via a statement issued Wednesday, November 24, 2021.
“I am making a special appeal yet again for our people to go out and get vaccinated against COVID-19. We’ve been making this appeal now for the past several months, and while I am very pleased that a vast majority of Nevisians have responded positively, indeed nearly 70 percent, there is still work to do.
“We are now administering the FDA [US Food and Drug Administration] approved Pfizer vaccine at all of our health centres across the island. That vaccine has been approved for those who are 12 years and older and therefore parents can feel safe having their children vaccinated against this dreaded disease.”
Since the most recent outbreak of the virus in May 2021, there have been several hospitalizations and five deaths on Nevis. The Premier lamented the loss of life, noting that none of the individuals had been vaccinated.
“Thus far we’ve had five tragic deaths on the island of Nevis and all five have been unvaccinated. I believe that that shows what the science has been saying, that vaccination continues to be our best defense against COVID-19 and that COVID-19 has become the disease that most affects the unvaccinated.
“I, therefore, encourage you to go and get vaccinated as we look towards this Christmas season. We anticipate a very robust tourist season for the first time in two years. Let us, therefore, encourage each other to keep safe, to keep our families safe, to keep our communities safe and to keep our beloved Nevis safe,” he said.
As at November 23, 201, Nevis had 13 active COVID-19 cases with one hospitalization; four of those cases had been reported within the previous 24-hours. The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has recorded a total of 2772 cases with 28 deaths.
The federal vaccination report shows that 24,751 adults and children are fully vaccinated as at November 23, representing over 73 percent of the target population. Persons have a choice of two double-dose COVID-19 vaccines, the Oxford-AstraZeneca and the Pfizer-BioNTech, provided free of cost at all health centres.