Janelie Barnes was the 1,000th person to get vaccinated in Saba.
SABA--Saba surpassed the 1,000 vaccinations mark shortly before 12:00pm Friday, February 26.
Janelie Barnes was the 1,000th person to get her Moderna vaccine in a highly popular COVID-19 vaccination programme, which got off to a quick start on Monday, February 22, with 260 vaccinations in one day. Saba Health Care Foundation announced on Saturday, February 16, that 1,200 persons were vaccinated.
On the second day, Tuesday, the 500 mark was surpassed with a total of 546 persons having received their vaccination. On Wednesday, February 24, vaccinations took place specifically for senior citizens at the Home and clients of the LIFE Center programme, resulting in a total number of 623. By Thursday, February 25, the tally reached 908.
The Saba vaccination team.
The Healthcare Department and Saba Health Care Foundation, with the assistance of the Red Cross, have been running a smooth, effective vaccination programme.
“The dedication and super friendliness of this team contributed to the success of the vaccinations,” said vaccination coordinator Tedisha Gordon of the Public Health Department.
The vaccination team has been working in shifts, vaccinating eight hours a day, with each team member carrying out their assigned task, said Gordon. There are flow coordinators, registration personnel, vaccinators, prep nurses, observation personnel, a doctor and floor manager.
Persons to be vaccinated first arrive at the checkpoint outside Eugenius Johnson Center in Windwardside, then proceed inside to the registration point. There are three vaccination stations, two of which are used on a continuous basis and a flexible third when it gets really busy. Once vaccinated, persons spend 15 minutes in the observation area.
“It has been a very good experience. People wear their ‘I got vaccinated’ button with pride. The community is very enthusiastic. There is a positive sentiment going around,” said Head of the Public Health Department Dr. Koen Hulshof, who is particularly proud of the vaccination team. “We have a great team that also includes lots of volunteers.”
Saba currently has an adult population of 1,450-1,500 persons. “We are well on track to vaccinating at least 80 per cent. With these numbers, Saba can work towards partly reopening the island in May and easing the measures such as the mandatory quarantining on entry, depending on the pandemic’s developments,” said Dr. Hulshof.
Today, Monday, March 1, is the final day for vaccination meant for persons who did not register beforehand and those who could not make it to their original appointment. The second round of vaccinations takes place in about four weeks.
