PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor VSA Omar Ottley urges all persons who are not vaccinated, to seriously consider doing so.
With the Omicron being the new variant of concern, the VSA Ministry has now shortened the time-span between the second vaccine dose and the booster from six months to three months, effective today Monday, December 20.
“On Saturday, December 19, it was reported that there was a detection of the first cases of the Omicron variant in Guadeloupe and Saint Martin. After sequencing the evidence, two cases of Omicron variant have been confirmed, one in Guadeloupe and the other in Saint Martin,” the ministry stated in a press release on Sunday.
Omicron is a highly mutated version of COVID-19, with an unprecedented number of genetic changes, which had been first detected in southern Africa. Since then, it has appeared in dozens of countries across six continents.
The booster is now available for all eligible persons, after the three-month period; regardless of any underlying health conditions.
The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment RIVM and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC announced that the third booster shot offers the maximum protection against the Omicron variant. Therefore, it is imperative that as many persons as possible take their booster shot.
“Our CPS [Collective Prevention Services – Ed.] vaccination drive continues daily at the Vineyard Building from Monday through Friday, from 8:00am to 3:00pm.”
