The campaign features statistics collected from the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital’s Specialty Care and Intensive Units.

The vaccination campaign is organised by the Primary Healthcare Department and focuses on providing a breakdown of COVID-related hospitalisations during 2021.

The Director of Primary Healthcare Dr Natasha Frett explained the campaign seeks to provide an understanding of how the virus has been affecting persons in the Virgin Islands.

“Being on the frontline, the Primary Healthcare team continues to come face to face with risks associated with the coronavirus. We are also seeing the hurt and effects it has been having on families and the community at large, and we are hoping that by putting this data forward persons would get a clearer picture of the favourable results of vaccination,” Dr Frett said.

The statistics provided are for the period of January to December 2021 and included the number of COVID-19 related hospitalisation. It also related the differentiation between those who were vaccinated, partially vaccinated and those unvaccinated.

One hundred and fifty-eight persons were hospitalised and 19 of them were vaccinated, two partially vaccinated and 137 unvaccinated.

Most of BVI’s COVID casualties were unvaccinated

The statistics also revealed that all 36 persons who died from COVID-related complications were unvaccinated.

The Marketing & Communications Manager at the BVIHSA Damion Grange said the campaign is bringing to light realities of the effectiveness of vaccination against coronavirus.

“Each figure represents a person, who has a family, and that family has been impacted in significant ways. The BVIHSA and Ministry of Health are committed to the protection of the BVI community, and from our in-house data promoting and encouraging vaccination is an effective way to get this done,” Grange said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health, Carvin Malone is encouraging residents to take advantage of the vaccination drive that will be taking place on Saturday 29 January, and Sunday 30 January at the Festival Grounds in Road Town, between 9 am and 5 pm.

Malone noted that both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines will be available in first, second and booster dose options.

“We will make sure that it is all available. Through the United Kingdom we have been able to get all the vaccines that are required for the entire population,” he said.

And while imploring the community to capitalise on the vaccination drive, the minister stated that healthcare workers have been going above and beyond the call of duty to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the territory.

“We have had the staff at the Health Services Authority – they have been working around the clock, saving you, risking their own lives in making sure that you are comfortable. You must do your part. You have to do your part by making sure that you become vaccinated,” Malone said.