Saint Lucia’s National Immunisation Manager, Tecla Jn Baptiste, while noting a tendency towards a decrease in reported cases of COVID-19 over the past weeks, has nevertheless warned that the possibility of another spike exists ‘if we become too relaxed.’
As a result, in a statement Tuesday, Jn Baptiste urged the public to continue adhering to public health measures and get vaccinated.
In this regard, she disclosed that Saint Lucia reached the 20% target of fully vaccinated persons as of Monday 11 October 2021, with 36 253 people receiving both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Whilst this seems far away from the desired 70% population immunity, it signifies progress – a step closer to achieving our goal,” the senior health official stated.
According to Jn Baptiste, the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs continues to note a higher percentage of hospitalisations and deaths in the unvaccinated.
“In light of this, we encourage you to get vaccinated for the added protection from the COVID-19 virus. The benefits of the vaccine greatly outweigh the potential side effects associated with the vaccine,” Jn Baptiste explained.
“It is difficult to predict how COVID-19 will affect any individual, and so the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs stands behind its official recommendation that every citizen gets vaccinated for COVID-19,” she said.
Jn Baptiste’s complete statement appears below:
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