NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (February 22, 2021) – Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis, along with the other Cabinet Ministers of the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) became the first persons on Nevis to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines on February 24, 2021.
The Premier, Ministers Hon. Alexis Jeffers, Deputy Premier, Hon. Eric Evelyn, Hon. Spencer Brand, Hon. Troy Liburd, Hon. Hazel Brandy Williams, and Cabinet colleagues received their first dose of the vaccine at the Charlestown Health Centre, Nevis.
Mr. Brantley, Senior Minister of Health in the NIA, said his Cabinet is leading by example to demonstrate to the Nevisian public that getting vaccinated against the virus is safe and highly recommended if Nevis is to achieve herd immunity.
“Today is a very historic day for us because the entire Cabinet, led by myself as Premier, and certain healthcare and frontline line workers, we all took the step of getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
“The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is what we have and we have demonstrated that it is safe and it is the only way to get our people past this COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m delighted that all of our Cabinet colleagues have come out to lead by example and to show the population there is absolutely no risk,” he said.
The Premier continued, “Certainly we look forward to the rest of the population getting vaccinated. We know that nobody is safe until everybody is safe, so we encourage one and all to go out and get vaccinated. Let’s fight this COVID-19 together and keep Nevis and the Federation safe.”
Hon. Hazel Brandy Williams, Minister of Health in the NIA, informed that the jab was quick and virtually painless. She encouraged the populace to make appointments at their nearest health centre to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Several senior health professionals including Dr. Judy Nisbett, Medical Officer of Health in the NIA Ministry of Health and Chair of Nevis’ COVID-19 Task Force, and Chandreka Persaud-Wallace, Matron-designate of the Alexandra Hospital also took their first dose of the vaccine on Wednesday.
The government of St. Kitts and Nevis launched its national vaccination program on Monday, February 22, 2021 from its first batch of two thousand (2000) doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, courtesy of the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
Wednesday’s vaccinations signaled the roll out of the NIA’s program on Nevis. Frontline workers and at risk persons are among the first wave of persons that will be receiving the COVID-19 vaccines.
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