CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – All Nevisians should be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis and Minister of Health in the Nevis Island Administration.
Speaking at his monthly press conference on February 25, the Premier said having taken his first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine; he wanted to assure the public that it was safe.
“We say to get vaccinated. Don’t wait, vaccinate,” said Hon. Brantley. “The idea is that vaccinations have proven over the years, over the centuries, to be a good way to avoid disease.
“We though it important to show our confidence in the process,” he said. “We thought it important to step forward, cameras rolling that the public can see that we were comfortable and confident, that there was no risk and frankly the process, having gone through it, was painless, it was quick, it was efficient…I can say to the public I have no side effects whatsoever.”
The Premier said that as more vaccines become available, persons should go out and be vaccinated free of cost. The Health Promotion Unit in the Ministry of Health is leading the education drive to provide information to the populace regarding COVID-19 vaccination.
“The vaccines are available. They will continue to roll out the public relations exercise, they will continue to roll out the campaign,” said Brantley. “They will continue to ensure that the people of Nevis are made aware and that they understand and recognize that getting vaccinated is really the way to go.
“I think we need to just finish away with a lot of the chatter,” said Brantley. “Just get to it, get it done, and keep us safe. Remember nobody is safe until everybody is safe and so the idea really is that all of us should get vaccinated.”
Brantley commended the health officials and COVID-19 Task Forces on both islands for their efficiency in managing the spread of the virus in St. Kitts and Nevis.
The island of Nevis has had 12 reported cases since the pandemic first impacted the Federation in 2020. There have been no positive cases since January 06, 2021.
Brantley admonished people to continue to practice the established non-pharmaceutical protocols even with the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination.
“The vaccine now provides us with that additional layer of protection,” concluded Brantley. “It is not to suggest that we abandon the non-pharmaceutical measures that have kept us safe thus far. “We continue to encourage our people to physically distance, to wear their masks when in public or interacting with other persons, and certainly to wash their hands frequently…and sanitize.”
