“I want to acknowledge that we still had to discard some 685 vials of the vaccines in the Territory on account of them expiring on the 31st July; and with the present situation globally with more and more waves of different variants causing countries to once again close or implement more stringent travel protocols, vaccines supplies are even shorter, and procurement is even more difficult,” Hon Malone said.

At the time, he was delivering an update on the latest COVID-19 situation in the territory on Friday, August 6, 2021.

Nonetheless, Honourable Malone stated, “your Government remains steadfast and continues to do all that it can to ensure that the people of this Territory have every opportunity to get vaccinated. I am confident that we will get to the 80 per cent needed for optimal protection against COVID-19 and its variants and that we will once again safely re-open; but again, we cannot and will not without the participation and willingness of you, the people in doing your part.”

According to the latest update from Government on August 6, 2021, some 12,187 persons are fully vaccinated and 4, 403 are partially vaccinated.

According to the latest update from Government on August 6, 2021, some 12,187 persons are fully vaccinated and 4, 403 are partially vaccinated.

Expired vaccines 'properly disposed of'

Meanwhile, the Minister for Health and Social Development said the Virgin Islands owes a debt of gratitude to the United Kingdom Government for providing the 3,040 doses of AstraZeneca received recently and are now being administered.

“The 685 vials were in fact properly disposed of in a careful and protocol manner, and we are now only administering only from the new batch of the 3,040 received,” he assured.

The UK had previously donated over 30,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.