Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

USVI sets 50,000 vaccination goal

USVI sets 50,000 vaccination goal

On the US mainland, some scholars are confident that the country will achieve Covid-19 herd immunity by April, a projection that would end the pandemic, by some estimates, rather early. Particularly, Johns Hopkins professor Martin Makary wrote in a Wall Street Journal Op-Ed that the US will achieve the feat, pointing to a steep 77 percent decline in cases in the past six weeks.

The professor said cases are down much earlier and more dramatic that experts had predicted because "natural immunity from prior infection is far more common than can be measured by testing." The professor wrote, "Testing has been capturing only from 10 percent to 25 percent of infections, depending on when during the pandemic someone got the virus. Applying a time-weighted case capture average of 1 in 6.5 to the cumulative 28 million confirmed cases would mean about 55 percent of Americans have natural immunity."

Some 12,000 US Virgin Islanders had received at least their first shot of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.


About 12,000 in USVI have been vaccinated


The USVI on March 1, 2021, will allow all residents who want to be vaccinated for Covid-19 to receive it. The move is part of the Bryan administration's goal to vaccinate 50,000 Virgin Islanders by July. On Monday, February 22, 2021, Governor Albert A. Bryan said about 12,000 US Virgin Islanders had received at least their first shot of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.

The Consortium brought to the governor's attention what some US scholars were projecting, and Mr Bryan thought it far-fetched that the US would achieve herd immunity so early. "April 2022, not 2021, right? I think that's what you're referring to because there's no way the US is going to get herd immunity by April," Mr Bryan averred.

The April projection for herd inoculation is occurring because of two main reasons: natural antibodies from people previously ill with Covid-19, and the fast pace in which the vaccines are being distributed in the US Former Food and Drug Commissioner Dr Scott Gottlieb estimated that 250 million doses will have been delivered to some 150 million people by the end of March.

In support of the April herd immunity projection, the Wall Street Journal Op-Ed stated, "Antibody studies almost certainly underestimate natural immunity. Antibody testing doesn’t capture antigen-specific T-cells, which develop “memory” once they are activated by the virus. Survivors of the 1918 Spanish flu were found in 2008—90 years later—to have memory cells still able to produce neutralizing antibodies."

Covid-19 antibody tests


The Consortium on Monday asked US Virgin Islands Department of Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion whether the territory had an estimate on how many Virgin Islanders who may have had the virus but never got tested. The idea here is to understand what percentage of the USVI had already developed herd immunity as cases continue to trend down. As of Monday, there were 89 active cases territory-wide: 61 in St Thomas, 25 on St Croix and 3 on St John. There were 108 cases pending. There was one Covid-19, non-ventilated patient at the Schneider Regional Medical Center as of Monday, while the Juan F. Luis Hospital reported no cases.

Ms Encarnacion told the Consortium that she posed the same question to Dr Esther Ellis, D.O.H. territorial epidemiologist Monday morning, asking whether it was time to run Covid-19 antibody tests in the territory to learn how many Virgin Islanders were immune to Covid-19 after being previously infected. "I don't have that answer for you today... but we'll be able to let you know when we'll begin antibody testing territory-wide and come up with that percentage," said Ms Encarnacion.

Mr Bryan said he had looked at some US estimates, which mathematised that up to 4 other persons were infected for every one infection that was recorded, which the governor said for the USVI could mean up to 10,000 people.

What does this mean for the territory? Well, if the USVI can achieve its goal of 50,000 vaccinations by July — vaccination is being opened to everyone beginning March 1 — and the territory, after performing antibody testing, finds that another 20,000 to 30,000 people had developed antibodies from being previously infected, it would mean that a plurality of the USVI's population — up to 80,000 or more individuals — would be protected from the deadly pathogen, which as of Monday had killed over 500,000 Americans, including 25 Virgin Islanders.

Such a development would mean the easing of gov't restrictions, allowing the new normal — where technology allows inoculated individuals speedier access to once-everyday life behaviours. Israel, for example, which boasts the world's fastest Covid-19 vaccination campaign, has lifted restrictions on most commerce and public activity. The country has authorized the reopening of markets, museums, malls, and is requiring the use of a pass to document vaccination status for some activities, according to WSJ.

Dr Makary, the Johns Hopkins professor and chief medical adviser to Sesame Care, closed the WSJ Op-Ed by stating, "Some medical experts privately agreed with my prediction that there may be very little Covid-19 by April but suggested that I not to talk publicly about herd immunity because people might become complacent and fail to take precautions or might decline the vaccine. But scientists shouldn’t try to manipulate the public by hiding the truth. As we encourage everyone to get a vaccine, we also need to reopen schools and society to limit the damage of closures and prolonged isolation. Contingency planning for an open economy by April can deliver hope to those in despair and to those who have made large personal sacrifices."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
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
×