Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Oct 04, 2025

COVID-19: Persons urged to schedule 2nd vaccine dose after April 22, 2021

COVID-19: Persons urged to schedule 2nd vaccine dose after April 22, 2021

Residents in the Virgin Islands (VI) who already received their first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, can expect to receive their second dose after April 22, 2021.

This date is in keeping with the advised 10 to 12-week timeline for the administration of the second dose, where research has shown that in the longer interval, the vaccine is most effective.

Persons urged to refer to vaccine card


Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Social Development, Ms Tasha K. Bertie explained that persons should refer to their vaccination cards and calculate at least ten weeks from the date the first dose was administered, to know when they can receive the second.

“Persons who show up prior to the April 22 date without their vaccination cards to prove they received their first dose and to verify the date, will be assisted. Hence, residents who received their vaccinations are encouraged to secure their cards to ensure they receive their second dose at the appropriate time,” she said.

The move comes as researchers found that longer intervals between the first and second vaccine doses, resulted in greater COVID-19 antibody production in persons who received the jabs.

Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Social Development, Ms Tasha K. Bertie explained that persons should refer to their vaccination cards and calculate at least ten weeks from the date the first dose was administered, to know when they can receive the second.


Vaccine more effective in 10-12 week intervals


In a statement delivered during the March 10, 2021, sitting of the House of Assembly (HoA) Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon Carvin Maline (AL) said that data taken from pooled double-blinded randomized controlled studies in which 17,178 participants received the AstraZeneca vaccine, researchers found that the vaccines were more effective when taken in 12-week intervals.

“The study determined that vaccine efficacy was 81.3% after 2 standard doses were given 12 weeks apart, versus 51.1% when given after 2 standard doses six weeks apart.”

He said the study also showed that persons developed double the antibodies to fight the virus after taking the second vaccine does in 12 weeks, compared to those who took the second dose in intervals of less than 6 weeks.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
×