By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Thursday 2nd December 2021) — Chief Medical Staff at the Joseph N. France General Hospital and member of the National COVID-19 Task Force Dr. Cameron Wilkinson has provided information about vaccine boosters being offered as extra protection against COVID-19. Speaking at the NEOC COVID-19 Daily Briefing held on Wednesday 1st December 2021, he pointed out that as of that evening, 622 individuals had been administered boosters, with about 50+ persons coming forward per day since boosters began being administered, including a record 93 persons that day.
Dr. Wilkinson explained: “A COVID booster is an additional dose of the vaccine given after the protection provided by the original shot has begun to decrease over time. The booster is designed to help people maintain their level of immunity for longer.” He noted that all adults 18 and over should get a booster, with the oldest making it a priority as they are most likely to have preexisting conditions.
“If you are eligible for a booster vaccine, you can have it six months after your second dose and no appointment is needed — you simply walk into any of the health centres during vaccination hours.” Persons will be offered a dose of Pfizer as the booster, regardless of which vaccine they received for their first two doses.
“A real world study shows that boosters significantly increase protection against illnesses found in COVID-19. The study found that two weeks after a booster dose, protection levels increase to 93.1% for those who had AstraZeneca as their first two doses and 95% for those who had Pfizer,” Dr. Wilkinson stated. He also called on parents to ensure that children 12 to 17 are vaccinated, noting the vast majority remain unprotected despite a vaccine having been available for several weeks.