COVID-19 booster shots available for the vulnerable

(CMR) Persons 70 years and older who received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine more than six months ago can now get a booster shot. Governor Martyn Roper announced that the  11,000 additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine the Cayman Islands received last week would be used for the booster campaign, which began on Monday.

The booster campaign is for those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and received their second dose more than six months ago. The UK also sent 400 doses of Astra Zeneca last week for those who are unable to take the Pfizer vaccine.

Governor Roper said the UK has further consignments on standby and that the Cayman Islands will order them as soon as needed.

“In an effort to protect the most vulnerable in our community – such as younger children who aren't able to be vaccinated, the Government is attempting to raise vaccination rates up to the highest level,” Roper stated in a Facebook post.

“Since the first cases of community transmission Public Health and the wider Civil Service have worked incredibly hard to protect us through testing, contact tracing, and managing isolation of the many primary contacts of those who have caught COVID. Like many countries around the world, we need to learn to live as normal lives as possible with COVID, and an increase in vaccine uptake is central to doing that successfully,” he continued.

Governor Roper also announced that lateral flow tests, which allow for the fast identifying of COVID positive cases, will soon arrive on island. He pointed out that these are the test that the private sector is now also purchasing,

“They will be an essential part of living with COVID. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lee has endorsed the use of tests on island, and more information on how these will be used will come from Government in due course. These lateral flow tests alongside the vaccines and boosters will become key tools in managing life with Covid as we move forward and look towards removing quarantine for vaccinated travelers,” Governor Roper said.

“As Governor for almost three years now, I remain highly optimistic and confident about the bright future that awaits our wonderful islands as we adjust to living with COVID. We are a resilient community, and our COVID response has been outstanding over the last 18 months,” he added.