Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Concerning! Low vaccination rate in high risk group in VI– National Epidemiologist

Concerning! Low vaccination rate in high risk group in VI– National Epidemiologist

The low vaccination rate seen in residents 60 years and up, who are most at risk of hospitalisation or even death due to COVID-19, is a concern for health officials in the [British] Virgin Islands (VI).

This is according to National Epidemiologist Harmonie Massiah who was part of a panel of health officials being interviewed by Government Information Service (GIS) on Thursday, May 27, 2021.

“Now regarding the high-risk population of those 60 and above, only 36.5 per cent has received at least one dose of the vaccine. Now that’s concerning to us because we know that age, especially coupled with pre-existing health conditions, increases your risk of severe disease, hospitalization and premature death. For example, persons in their 60’s or 70’s have a greater risk of death hospitalisation and severe symptoms than those in their 50’s and 40’s,” she stated.

Massiah said as of May 23, 2021, some 16,759 doses of the vaccine were administered in the territory, and approximately 11,648 were first dose vaccinations.

“Which means 38.3 per cent of the population and 5,111 second dose vaccinations, meaning that 17 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated,” she said.

She also pointed out that “these numbers are likely to be an underestimation simply because we had a number of persons from the territory who went abroad and got Pfizer and Moderna and Johnson and Johnson. Also, the baseline population we used to calculate these figures might be an overestimation, we really don’t know how many people we have in the population since Irma.”

National Epidemiologist Harmonie Massiah said only 36.5 per cent of persons in the high-risk population of those 60 years and over has received at least one dose of the vaccine.


Only mild side effects of vaccine in territory


The National Epidemiologist also reported that the side effects of the vaccine in the territory have been mild.

“The most prevalent being achy feelings, headache, chills, fatigue, pain and itching at the injection site. We have not to date have any reported cases of severe disease, and we are asking the community, if you have had any rare side effects like diarrhoea, vomiting, blood clots, please report to Public Health so that we can then come back again and inform the public so that they can be further educated,” she urged.

Messiah also said the dominant percentage of persons being vaccinated are males in the 35 to 50 age group.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
×