NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (May 07, 2021) — The following is an address by Hon. Hazel Brandy-Williams, Junior Minister of Health in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), addressing youths on vaccination.

On Wednesday 5^th May, I got my second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and I am totally happy that I have done that. I can honestly say now that I am fully vaccinated. However, I felt it necessary to speak to people as to the importance of taking the vaccine, and so I want to address the youth.

Young people you are the future of Nevis, and I know that fun and frolic and the partying is a part of your DNA. If you want to be able to socialise with your young persons again it is important that you take the vaccination.

We want you to be a part of the rebuilding process. As it is now, our economy is lagging and for us to get back where we ought to be we need your help, and you can help by taking the vaccination and encouraging your other young persons to do so as well.

I want to talk to women, women in general, especially those in the age group 20 to 40. Perhaps you might be thinking of starting a family and that is important but what I would like you to do is to go and speak to your doctor. Get all the necessary information and then make your decision.

If you have trusted your doctor over the years, I cannot see why you will not trust him or her now, when he or she would have given you the information as it pertains to taking this vaccination.

To the men, I appeal to you. Many of you have spoken to me and you would have said, because you are out of a job you feel less than a man because you are not able to support your families in the way that you ought to.

I am saying to you and I am encouraging you, young men, you are the bedrock of our society. You are the breadwinners of the family, and so if you are to provide for your family it is important that you take the vaccination as soon as possible.

I know that is everyone’s fundamental human right. You have the right to choose and after you would have weighed the pros and cons you make the decision, the best decision for you, your children, your family, your community and your country of St. Kitts and Nevis.

I want to appeal to the non-nationals and the expatriate community. You have come to our country. You have adopted our country as your home and we are happy to have you, but imagine what it used to be 10 years ago, even two years ago. We all would want Nevis to return to what it used to be.

You have worked; you have earned and you have been able to support yourself and your families abroad and we really want to get back to that point but it is dependent on you as well to do your part.

There is information out there. Get the right information and then the decision to take the vaccine is yours but if we, all of us, would like to see Nevis, Kitts and Nevis back where it once was, we all have to join in unison and to do the right thing.

Finally, when we travel, we trust and we have faith in the pilots and in God to take us to the next destination. Let us at this time have that same faith and trust in our health care professionals and let us all collaborate. Let us all come together and do the right thing to bring Nevis, St. Kitts and Nevis back to where it ought to be.

I am imploring all of you to get the information, and at the end of the day take the vaccination. “Don’t Wait; Vaccinate.”