Dominica starts COVID-19 vaccine drive, President among the first to get immunized

President of Commonwealth of Dominica Charles Savarin and the health minister have received their first doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.Prime Minister Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit shared on his Facebook that Health Minister Hon. Dr. Irvin Mc Intyre and Parliamentary Secretary Kent Edwards received the COVID-19 vaccine on Friday at the Dominica China Friendship Hospital.Besides this, the first lady of Dominica, Mrs. Clara Savarin, was among those who got vaccinated.The Commonwealth of Dominica received over 70,000 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine from India. These vaccines are sufficient to immunize 35,000 individuals as it requires two doses.As per authorities, the common citizens of Dominica can register to get themselves vaccinated from 22 February onwards.Who will be immunized in the first phase?Frontline workers, Senior Citizens, and members of the Cabinet and parliament are on the priority list of the government. These individuals would receive two jabs of the vaccine. As per Prime Minister Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit, all systems have been put in place by the Ministry of Health to ensure that every recipient will be diligently monitored throughout the vaccination process. According to Oxford University reports, the AstraZeneca vaccine's first dose kicks in after three weeks and lasts right through to the second dose at the three-month mark.Prime Minister Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit had asserted on Facebook that "Dominica will soon be empowered to achieve a crucial objective to stamp out the impact of the various strains of COVID-19." Dominica currently has 12 positive coronavirus patients, and all international arrivals are closely monitored after being placed in the quarantine facility. Besides on arrival screening, all isolated individuals are tested on their fifth day at the facility. There has been no coronavirus related deaths in Dominica, and people vigilantly follow the protocols of the government.The main concerning of the government is to reduce illegal entry into the country, and the Prime Minister asked people to get together to solve the issue.