MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands has established a Vaccination Plan Group; Gibraltar first OT to receive the Pfizer vaccine

FIG has established a vaccination planning group, needed to run an Islands-wide vaccination program, reported MLA Leona Roberts

The Falkland Islands government, FIG, has established a vaccination planning group, although there is not a delivery date for the Covid 19 doses to be sent from the United Kingdom.

However since Gibraltar is scheduled to receive the first batch of Pzifer/BioNTech mRNA vaccines, other Overseas Territories can be expected to implement their shots program in the near future.

Speaking at the Secretariat, Falklands lawmaker MLA Leona Roberts who has been responsible for the monthly Covid 19 update reported this week that there is no delivery date for the arrival of the vaccines, ”but FIG has established a vaccination planning group, which is responsible for developing the necessary processes and protocols needed to run an Islands-wide vaccination program.”

Chief Executive Barry Rowland added that the group, which has been established as a subgroup of the Pandemic Strategy Group, is made up of “public sector officials” and that FIG will “be engaging with the private sector where we need logistic support” as “once we see that we have a vaccine we’d hope to deliver that over a relatively short period of time.”

Regarding Covid 19 cases in the Islands, MLA Roberts confirmed that there are no new cases , but that there are still two current positive symptoms. On the topic of visitors' policy CE Rowland said that the subject is seeing “ongoing review and members are due to consider the existing visitor policy next week in order to determine whether any changes should be made,” from the current restriction of nonessential travel

In related news on Friday the government of Gibraltar announced the arrival on Saturday 9 January of vaccines for the first phase of the COVID-19 strategy using the Pzifer/BioNTech mRNA Vaccine.

Upon arrival, the vaccine will be immediately taken directly to dedicated freezers in the basement of St Bernard’s Hospital and kept at -75 degrees centigrade.

This first delivery is being provided to Gibraltar by the UK Government as part of its program to supply the Overseas Territories, and as such the methodology of delivery is the same as it is in the UK.

A 5,850 doses of the vaccine will be received in this first delivery. The second delivery of the vaccine is expected by the end of January.

According to the Gibraltar government the aim is to have vaccinated all over 70s with at least one dose by mid February, assuming that the vaccines arrive as planned.

The order in which the vaccines will be offered will follow a modified version of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) priority schedule. The vaccination program for the public will commence on Monday 11th January.