NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (June 03, 2021) – – The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) is urging all public servants to move with alacrity to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

According to a memorandum issued by the Office of the Premier dated June 02, 2021, addressed to all members of the Public Service in the NIA, because they interact with the general public on a daily basis, government workers should use the opportunity to take the vaccine in order to protect themselves, their families and the wider population.

“Members of the Public Service are required to come into daily contact with the public. We serve the public and cannot avoid contact of some form. It therefore stands to reason that we should take the opportunity to protect ourselves, our families, our coworkers, and our community by availing ourselves of a measure that, as informed by the experts, will keep us safe and permit the revitalization of our economy,” the communique states.

This comes on the heels of repeated appeals for eligible persons to present themselves to health centres for vaccination, free of cost.

The NIA has responded to the recent incidence of community spread of the virus on St. Kitts by extending the hours of operations of all health centres on Nevis, including Saturday vaccination clinics.

The Memorandum noted that in light of the fact that the first batch of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccination doses will expire at the end of June, the appeal not to allow those doses to go to waste has become more urgent, especially considering that a global shortage exists due to the current overwhelming demand.

While taking the vaccine has not been made mandatory, the NIA continues to use moral suasion to get persons to act responsibly.

“You are therefore strongly encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to receive a vaccination which is freely available to all residents here in Nevis. We make this appeal to you in order to safeguard the health and well-being of the community which we serve.

“All are asked to carefully consider and act accordingly.”

As at June 02 some 28,566 doses of the vaccine had been administered in the Federation; 6,691 of those were administered in Nevis. Federal health officials are reporting that over 60 percent of the target group in the federation – persons between the ages of 18 years and 85 years- has already been vaccinated.