Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

Benefits of COVID-19 jab far outweigh the side effects - Dr Pickering

Benefits of COVID-19 jab far outweigh the side effects - Dr Pickering

Calling the local AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine an ultimate weapon against the pandemic in the Virgin Islands (VI), Medical Doctor and former Deputy Premier and 7th District Representative, Dr Kedrick D. Pickering has urged Virgin Islanders to get vaccinated.

Dr Pickering made the comments during the Sunday, April 4, 2021, edition of Real Talk with Karia J. Christopher on Flow Television and broadcasted online.

Pandemic continues to devastate the world


Pointing to devastation in places like Brazil where millions have been infected and thousands dead as a result of the ongoing pandemic, Dr Pickering said vaccination remains the ultimate tool.

“Brazil right now is in the midst of a major health crisis facing that country… Jamaica in the Caribbean is also facing some major challenges,” he said.

Jamaica has had more than 41 thousand confirmed cases and over 600 deaths.

“What is important to understand in the context of this particular situation that we find ourselves in this pandemic that is caused by the virus COVID-19, our only weapon against this virus is vaccination.”

He said to become vaccinated is to prevent severe illness and that is not to be confused with what treatment modalities are available.

Dr Kedrick D. Pickering appeared as a guest on the Sunday, April 4, 2021, edition of Real Talk with Karia J. Christopher on Flow Television and broadcasted online.

Minister for Health and Social Development Hon Carvin Malone (AL) has urged Virgin Islanders to get vaccinated so the Virgin Islands can achieve herd immunity and move to a pre-COVID-19 era.


Prevention is better than cure - Dr Pickering


“I’ve said in other forums when speaking… it is one of those situations where an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. You do not want to get COVID-19, because the results of that illness are unpredictable… it could end in death,” he said.

He said the long-term consequences of getting infected is great, as such, the vaccine will help overcome those consequences.

Meanwhile, Dr Pickering said persons in the VI should also understand the strides made with regards to fighting the pandemic locally, as just about a year ago the territory was under lockdown.

Dr Pickering said as of now he, along with several colleagues, has embarked on a personal campaign to encourage and beg persons to get vaccinated, which he said is in their best interest.

According to Minister for Health and Social Development Hon Carvin Malone (AL), in a COVID-19 update on April 5, 2021, 70 percent to 80 percent of the VI being vaccinated and attaining herd immunity will make the difference for the territory.

He said so far some 8246 first doses have been administered, with 6971 on Tortola, 1118 on Virgin Gorda, 68 on Jost van Dyke and 89 on Anegada.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×