PM Harris urges people to get vaccine shot for the sake of loved-ones

Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis Dr Timothy Harris urged citizens and residents to get vaccinated against the COVID-19. He stated that if they don't want to get immunized for themselves, they must do it for the sake of people around them who cannot get inoculated for medical reasons.

PM Harris made these remarks in talks with private-business owners on Thursday evening, where he asked employers to encourage their staff to get their vaccine dose.

"We are urging you as business owners to do your part and encourage your employees to “roll up, and two roll out", added PM Harris.

He stated it extremely important to achieve herd immunity as it would lessen the burden on the country's health care system.

"I am pleading with each and every citizen and resident to think of their loved ones, their neighbours, their co-workers, themselves." Prime Minister Harris added.

Furthermore, he added that it is a national call to action to serve the country in a way that would save lives and livelihoods. All individuals over the age of 18 are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in St Kitts and Nevis, and different centres are established to make the immunization drive more accessible.

St Kitts and Nevis, a twin-island nation country with less than 53,000 population, have already vaccinated more than 28% of its target groups. As per the Chief Medical Officer Dr Hazel Laws, the country requires to inoculate 70% of the population to achieve herd immunity.

On Wednesday evening, St Kitts and Nevis welcomed the arrival of 21,600 doses of vaccine from the COVAX facility, bringing the total supply of doses to 41,600.

Earlier, in March, St Kitts and Nevis also received a total of 20,000 doses of Oxford Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccines from India. The vaccine was manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world. SII produces over 15 billion doses of different types of vaccines every year.