The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs continues to review the national plan for COVID-19 management. The COVID-19 vaccination programme forms part of this plan and was recently updated following the introduction of the vaccine in February, 2021 in Saint Lucia. The review allowed the team to identify the programme’s strengths and to identify the opportunities for improvement as well as to assess and explore suitable responses to the programme’s limitations. As a result, it has been decided to undertake an accelerated COVID-19 vaccination drive. This drive will be undertaken for a two week period, October 25 to November 8, 2021.
The Ministry continues to monitor the position global public health authorities to improve management of COVID-19 at our local level. With the recent information on the benefits of booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines and given that the shelf-life of our current stock of vaccines shall be expiring in the coming month, the Ministry has taken the decision to introduce a Pfizer booster dose. This shall be for the more vulnerable population groups which include people 65 years and older, people living with underlying medical conditions and frontline workers. The national COVID-19 vaccination protocol has been reviewed and updated. It now allows for booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine to be administered to this priority group, given the higher level of risk they are at for COVID-19 infection. In an effort to further protect the health and wellbeing of these individuals, the Ministry has found it a priority to modify the current protocols to allow for the administering of booster doses as of Monday, October 25, 2021.
A booster is an additional dose of the vaccine given to an individual who has completed the recommended vaccine regimen. The booster provides an added level of protection to those who are most vulnerable to the virus and whose immune system would significantly benefit from this added protection.
The booster doses will be administered 6 to 8 months after the second dose AstraZeneca, and given to people 65 years and older, immune compromised people 18 years and older and frontline workers. The Ministry of Health anticipates a high demand for these booster doses and in response to this dedicated sites will be established for receiving this vaccine. Anyone wishing to receive this vaccine can have it administered at the following sites:
Vieux Fort Parish Hall – Wednesdays and Fridays
CSA Centre, San Souci – Mondays and Saturdays
Gros-Islet HR Center – Wednesdays and Thursdays
Micoud Multi Purpose Center – Tuesdays and Fridays
Dennery Mothers Pre-school – Fridays
Soufriere Hospital – Thursdays
Jon Odlum Secondary School Marigot – Saturdays
Babonneau Multi-Purpose Centre – Mondays and Fridays
From Monday, October 25, all other vaccination sites will continue to administer first and second doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines with more days for vaccination from 9:00am to 5:00pm:
Vigie Sports Complex: Monday to Saturday
Gros Islet Human Resource Centre: Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays
Vieux Fort RC Parish Hall: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays – Vieux Fort Wellness Centre
La Resource Constituency Council: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays
La Fargue Wellness Center: Fridays and Saturdays
Laborie Wellness Center: Mondays and Wednesdays
Soufriere Hospital: Mondays and Fridays
Vaccination will continue as routine at all Wellness Centers.
Vaccines continue to be effective in preventing disease and death. Vaccination has been one the greatest public health successes in Saint Lucia and the Caribbean region for decades. COVID-19 vaccines bring us similar hope for ending the epidemic. We encourage all who are eligible to get vaccinated against to reduce the impact of the virus on us.
