Collective Prevention Services (CPS) is preparing to join the Netherlands’ fall 2023 COVID-19 injection campaign with a new vaccine against the latest strains. For now persons over 12 years old can obtain booster shots there by appointment only at no cost on Thursdays.
That the virus has made sort of a global comeback in different variants is clear. Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor VSA Omar Ottley told Parliament on Monday that as of September 25 there were zero reported infections. However, a week earlier there had still been three active cases, although no patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC).
The latter is reassuring, but the question can still be asked whether that kind of information should now again be shared with the pubic in a more timely and frequent manner. Some would say yes because it allows people to take precautions should the numbers rise, while others might consider that unnecessarily spreading fear when the epidemic is long over.
There is in any event no need to panic, as the situation seems relatively under control. CPS has a contingency plan with four scenarios and will act accordingly. The minister also mentioned that if there are 200-300 local cases but no hospitalisations, critical conditions or deaths, that would mean herd immunity. Regardless, applying some of the related lessons learned, including social distancing and regularly washing hands, at this point is probably a justifiably prudent approach.
