MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Second dose of Covid vaccinations set to begin in the Falklands

No positive cases of Covid-19 in the Falklands. (Pic T. Barkman MLA Twitter)

The next phase of Covid vaccinations in the Falklands is set to begin on 23 March, the Falkland Islands Government confirmed on Tuesday. The upcoming vaccination round will see people who received their first dose between 8-12 February receive their second dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab.

In a press release announcing the vaccination round, the Falkland Islands Government also addressed media stories linking the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to blood clots, which have led some countries to pause administering the jab.

The government noted that the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the World Health Organisation continue to advocate for the use of the vaccination, with both organisations arguing that the evidence does not suggest that the vaccine causes blood clots.

The government further provided reassurance that the islands’ vaccination programme continues to be based on the most up-to-date evidence, stating: “Throughout the pandemic, [the King Edward Memorial Hospital] has kept in regular contact with national health bodies, including Public Health England, to ensure that we are using the most up-to-date evidence and information and this remains the case during the continuing rollout of the [hospital’s] vaccination programme.”

Covid cases remain at 0

Meanwhile, figures released on this week show there continue to be no positive cases of Covid-19 in the Falklands. As of Tuesday, there have been 54 positive Covid-19 test results in the since testing began in April 2020.