St. Lucia on vaccination and first cruise line since pandemic
More than 30,000 residents of St. Lucia have received their first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, the government of St. Lucia announced.
As of June 29, Tuesday, 30,815 received their first shot, and most of them are individuals above 50 years of age, followed by those 25 to 49 years, and then those 18 to 24 years. A total of 21,956 residents have been inoculated with the second dose.
Campaigns to educate and encourage younger age groups about the importance of vaccination is now being carried out, as the island’s Ministry of Health discovers that the highest number of cases has been noted in the under 50 years age group.
There is a general hesitancy on getting vaccinated among the residents of St. Lucia. Some are delaying vaccination while they “wait and watch”; others are clear about not wanting to be vaccinated.
“The Ministry of Health and Wellness remains committed to ensuring that its monitoring system is robust, and that processes are in place to address any untoward events that may occur relating to vaccines,” St. Lucia’s Ministry of Health said in a statement.
“The safety of the population is our priority, hence the reason why only vaccines that are prequalified for use by the World Health Organization will be offered to the citizenry,” it added.
Campaigning for the entire island’s vaccination program is crucial, especially now that economies are slowly reopening.
Just recently, St. Lucia has welcomed its first cruise ship since the pandemic, when the Celebrity Millennium ship docked on Tuesday, June 29.
Carrying an estimate of 400 passengers, the said cruise ship is the first to dock on the island since the cruise industry was halted to help curb the spread of the coronavirus last year.
All passengers on the ship are vaccinated except for ten children, according to Geraine Georges, public relations manager at the St. Lucia Tourism Authority.
Passengers that are fully vaccinated will be allowed to get off the ship, and they will be required to wear a wrist band for tracking. This way, the visitors can enjoy expanded access to the island which includes shopping, dining, beaches and more.