This is the final opportunity to get a free first dose of COVID-19 vaccine (see related story), with the second one to follow three weeks later. There will be pop-up injection sites today, Friday in Festival Village from 12:00 noon to 6:00pm and Saturday at Melford Hazel Sports Complex in Sucker Garden from 9:00am until supplies last, while the Collective Prevention Services (CPS) office at the Vineyard Building is also open Friday.
People should keep in mind that although the local COVID-19 situation seems stable, the Delta variant is currently prevalent all over the world and even more contagious than the Alpha version. And the latter already spread easier than the original from China.
The long-awaited recovery of the island’s dominant hospitality industry thankfully having started in earnest also implies – despite all travel precautions – an enhanced health threat in that regard. A new outbreak of any significance could in turn seriously derail that process to restore the tourism economy as well and with it the livelihood of practically all inhabitants.
The best way to manage these risks is by reaching a higher vaccination rate. The Pfizer vaccine used here is 88 per cent effective against the Delta variant.
What might help is lots of youngsters showing up for their shot. Only offered to adults before, it has now become available to inhabitants ages 12 and older.
That could prove a key factor, because while teenagers rarely get very sick, they can –often unknowingly – transmit the potentially deadly disease to more vulnerable groups including their own loved ones. Remember, this is not just about you.
