[BASSETERRE, St. Kitts] – The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has secured its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines.
In a national address on Saturday, February 13, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris confirmed that the Federation has received two thousand doses of vaccine. That was courtesy of the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
“Our first batch of vaccines has arrived in the Federation. It will soon be in the arms of our frontline workers. In addition to other priority groups as determined by our healthcare professionals,” Prime Minister Harris said.
The prime minister added, “We also received confirmation from the Director of the COVAX Office that the Federation is set to receive 21,600 doses of vaccine by the end of this month. Additionally, the Republic of China (Taiwan) has pledged $600,000.00 to procure extra vaccines. Further assistance in the form of vaccine donations is also expected from the Government of India and other allies.”
Prime Minister Harris stated that the goal of his Government is to achieve herd immunity in St. Kitts and Nevis. As a result, having more than 70 percent of the population immunized against the deadly virus.
“I am certain that we will be successful in running this last leg of the race against COVID-19. Most importantly, we will see our Nation return to some sense of normalcy in the near future. Plus the return of more economic activity. We have been successful so far to strike a delicate balance between saving lives and preserving livelihoods. We are now pivoting to getting everyone back to work, but this must be done in a careful and safe manner,” Dr. Harris said.
