Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 11, 2021 (SKNIS): Medical Chief of Staff at the Joseph N. France General Hospital (JNF) Dr. Cameron Wilkinson, said that a large portion of persons who remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 in St. Kitts and Nevis are individuals between the ages of 18-40 years old.
Dr. Wilkinson was at the time speaking at the Wednesday, November 10, 2021 NEOC press briefing.
“Unfortunately, a significant proportion of the unvaccinated include our young healthy adults between the ages of 18-40 years old. Interestingly, this is the same segment of our society that wants to participate in contact sports, frequent the bars, have social gatherings without mask and are looking to have carnival celebrations with little restrictions. Individuals continue to say that vaccination is a personal choice whether or not to get vaccinated, however, a choice that does not only affect the individual making it should also be weighed against the effects it could have on others. Deciding whether to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is not a personal choice and never was because the consequences have always extended way beyond the individual,” said Dr. Wilkinson.
The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) recently applauded the success of St. Kitts and Nevis’ vaccination programme. To date, 73.4 percent of the Government’s target population have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Notwithstanding, Dr. Wilkinson is urging those who have not yet done so to step up and get vaccinated. He said a large portion of COVID-19 related deaths locally are of seniors above the age of 60 who contracted the virus within their homes.
“When you as an individual gets vaccinated, you make yourself less likely to get infected and less likely to become infectious and spread the virus to others including the vulnerable. Conversely, by choosing not to get vaccinated you are not only depriving yourself of the best personal protection available to fight off this deadly virus but you are allowing yourself to become a vehicle for transporting and spreading the virus within the community…Our death rate will continue to climb if we continue to deny ourselves the best protection against the virus, which is the vaccination,” said Dr. Cameron Wilkinson.
In St. Kitts and Nevis persons interested in being vaccinated have the options of either the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine or the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
