More than 2,000 vaccines now administered
(CNS): The number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 now stands at 2,019 after public health officials continued administering the shots to those in the first groups, in accordance with the National Vaccination Plan, over the weekend and on Monday. Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee said another three asymptomatic travellers tested positive for the coronavirus in the latest batch of 301 results.
There are currently 44 active cases of the virus among the 1,187 people in isolation and quarantine. Eight of those individuals are suffering symptoms of the virus.
The change to the testing regime for arriving travellers, to require a pre-arrival negative test, was confirmed when the regulations were published Friday. From 14 January, travellers over the age of ten heading to the Cayman Islands will need to produce a PCR COVID-19 test from an approved lab that is negative before they can board a plane bound for this jurisdiction.
“Given the new, highly transmissible strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus reported in 45 countries to date, the added testing requirement aims to reduce the potential for any surge of cases in the Cayman Islands,” Premier Alden McLaughlin said about the new requirement.
Dr Lee added that countries around the world and the region are increasingly mandating similar requirements.
A paper copy of test results is recommended but an electronic copy is acceptable. Airlines will check passengers prior to departure to confirm that an appropriate negative PCR test has been provided, and will deny departure to anyone without proof of a negative test. Cayman Islands Customs and Border Control officers will also require the same proof.
“We strongly believed that it was important to act promptly to protect our local community given the worsening health situation we are seeing in so many countries. At the same time to minimise the impact on Caymanians and residents, who may be currently travelling for urgent reasons, we have taken steps to support these persons,” said Health Minister Dwayne Seymour.
Outlining the infrastructure that has been set up to support people who are affected, Travel Cayman Director Dr Tasha Ebanks-Garcia said that guidance has been developed for stakeholders, including Cayman Airways, British Airways, the Cayman Islands Government Office in the United Kingdom, inbound travellers and members of the public.
She urged anyone planning to travel to the Cayman Islands to visit the CIG COVID-19 website for more details about the new requirements.
In addition to the new pre-arrival test, all other current public health requirements for arriving travellers remain in place. Travellers must still take a PCR test on arrival in the Cayman Islands and quarantine for a minimum of 14 days.
A Day 15 PCR test will continue to be required and travellers must have a negative test result in order to be released from quarantine.
Anyone with questions should contact the Travel Cayman team via email TravelCayman@gov.ky
or call 1-345-945-0556 / 1-345-946-7858
Phone lines are open Monday through Friday 8.30am to 5pm.See the vaccination schedule, the consent form and the Vaccination Plan Brochure in the CNS Library here.
For more details on the vaccination programme visit the HSA website here.
For more information on COVID-19 in the Cayman Islands, visit the CIG site here.
Category: Health, Medical Health
Thank you to all 2,000 for participating in human trial. 🐁🐀🐁🐀
CNS..I’m pissed. I’m 55 and can’t get the vaccine because my age group is not in the program set out by the government yet an expat friend of mine said he just went down to the HSA and got his today and nobody seemed to care about his age or ask any quetions and he is only 49..
CNS: If anyone can get the vaccine why isn’t the government telling us this. I tis not fair to us to sit around while every Tom, Dick and Harry get theirs..Something is wrong here.
To add to the above, I’ve now heard multiple, reliable reports of non-residents (i.e. visitors from overseas) turning up to HSA and having the vaccine administered to them, no questions asked. The word is out – there are absolutely no controls in place to ensure vaccines are being administered in line with the National Vaccination Plan.
This is a national scandal – when will the Minister be forced to answer for this? Is he even aware?
This is very frustrating. I also know someone who got the vaccine even though he is not eligible. He wanted it because he wants to be able to travel to the US without having to do the quarantine. I don’t want to use vaccines that should go to the elderly or healthcare workers but if anyone can go get it, then we should know.
It only boosts your immune system for 21 days and if you receive the second shot… nobody knows for how long. You still can get the virus, transmit it to others and get sick.
If I were you I’d spend more time on the beach.
Only another 40000 to achieve ‘herd immunity’!
8.19am I was in the queue Monday morning and there were zero checks on eligibility as long as you had a consent form which nobody looked at which was stuck in a pile, you got your shot.
Wendy, it would be useful to have some clarification from HSA around whether they are sticking to the National Vaccination Plan for the time being or just giving the vaccine to anyone who turns up to wait in line.
The guy who was helping me out in a furniture store on the weekend said he’d had it on Friday (certainly didn’t appear, at first glance, to meet the Stage 1, Group A criteria) and an overseas visitor of a neighbour claimed to have had it administered yesterday.
I’m personally keen to be vaccinated as soon as possible but understand the need for more vulnerable/at-risk individuals to be first in line. If, however, there isn’t really a line at all, the public should know.
They are not..Just look on Facebook or instagram. Everyone posting that they got it and nobody checking them.
This whole thing is messed up. there is still another 3000 vaccines left why not just say everybody can go and get it and use up the 5000 quickly. If the older people or frontline workers are not showing up in droves up in up to other people.
Who puts unknown chemicals and substances into their bodies?
Not me.
yeah right….go look at the side of your next can of coca-cola.
2.29pm Please do not insult our cans of Coca Cola when they are all displaying the Cayman Islands Coat of Arms, I understand local rum bottles will be next.
Can we please scrap “other visitors approved via the Travel Cayman team”? Skylar showed we don’t benefit from giving CAL employees immigration discretionary powers. Thanks.
Anyone started growing a 6th finger or second head yet as per the paranoid scaremongers amongst our community??
Too early to know. 24 month Stage III trials under way.
“While some COVID-19 vaccines have been granted emergency use authorization, they still haven’t even completed Stage 3 clinical trials. Data for some end points won’t even be collected until 24 months after injection. As such, they are still entirely experimental.
Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine contains polyethylene glycol (PEG), and studies have shown 70% of people develop antibodies against this substance. This suggests PEG may trigger fatal allergic reactions in many who receive the vaccine.”
Why can’t we have a choice of vaccine? Some people have preferences over which one they want to take.
9.59am I could not agree more, I want the one blended with rum.
i am ready to jump the queue over the anti-vax fools….how can i do this?
Yes. How many doses have been wasted waiting on no-shows?
Just show up, fool.
How are younger and no risk people already receiving this?
Because you can literally turn up and the give it to you…
Due to your high anxiety they won’t refuse your request for the shot regardless your age.
I’d also like to know this. Are they following their vaccination plan or is it just whoever shows up?
8.19am I was in the queue Monday morning and there were zero checks on eligibility as long as you had a consent form which nobody looked at which was stuck in a pile, you got your shot.
Some may work within essential services that could potentially spread to other employees within that service who may also be at risk.
Presumably because they are eligible because they are healthcare workers, first responders, or staff dealing with incoming travellers.
If there is any evidence that significant number of people are jumping the queue whilst eligible candidates are not getting their shots, then that would indeed be a problem.
The large law and accounting firms are getting offered the vaccine. These people are in their 40’s and at no risk! Others are just walking up and getting vaccine. No questions asked
Do you have any evidence for this statement?
There are staff members from a massage studio that have been vaccinated already. Not exactly essential healthcare workers.
A quick flick through my Facebook newsfeed over the past 3 days has shown numerous people posting photos of themselves getting the vaccine who I personally know. They are absolutely not in the first stage of the National Vaccination Plan. This is on the Brac and someone really needs to do some investigation into this.
I have a friend that works at one of the local audit forms that just took the chance and joined the line, filled out the form, no questions asked and now waiting on his second dose. He is an expat and wants to travel and not have to do the 14 day quarantine on return so took the chance and got through..
There are people who genuinely do not want a vaccine.
This cult of vaccine is not going away, so can we perhaps get a few square feet to ourselves and not bother you “normal” people?
Sure! That is absolutely fine. Can we please devise a system that does not wait on you to show up, so that others can move ahead?
This is seriously slow. Why are private doctors not being involved, and surely we could have more nurses giving out the jabs? WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR! Another shutdown?
Why so slow? The vaccine had been on island since last Tuesday, its been a week, and we only vaccinated 2000 people? Seriously??!
How many units have been wasted so far and if any, why??
Exactly. They’ve known these vaccines were coming for weeks. If we need to prove we can use these vaccines before getting more, why is it taking so long?
There have been some comments about having to thaw out about 5000 doses at a time, and stored for max 5 days. If that is so, surely we either have vaccinated about 5000 people or some doses have been destroyed, having been thawed out on Thursday? Which is it.
Why the negativity? I’ve taken elderly neighbours and relatives to get their jabs, and it seems like a well oiled machine to me. Kudos to the HSA. They are doing a great job, which is why we are already amongst the top countries in the world when ranked by vaccines administered by head of population. (Perhaps 5th in the world by current rankings: https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations)
Your efforts might be better directed by offering to transport elderly or vulnerable people that don’t have their own transport, or by helping to convince anti-vaxxers that their fears are unfounded and self-centered. The biggest problem that Cayman is going to have is the number of people who will ignore the science and choose, at the detriment of the larger community, not to be vaccinated. for that reason alone we will almost certainly not remain at the top of the league tables for long.
Please consider helping rather than levelling undue criticism. You may find it to be quite fulfilling.
The problem is storage and handling, that is why people ask this kind of questions.
Vaccines are fragile. They must be maintained at the temperatures recommended by vaccine manufacturers.
Once a facility receives a thermal shipper [such as that from Pfizer], it has to replace the dry ice within 24 hours and again every five days. And you can only open the box one or two times a day.
Pfizer’s thermal shipper holds 975 vials which means 10 of them were received.
Once a carton (195 vials=1,000 doses)transferred to a refrigerator, it must be administered within five days.
Once a dilutant creating five doses was dded to a vial, the solution is good for six hours.
Pharmaceutical companies report that from 5 to 20 percent of vaccines spoil during distribution. That will have to be factored in. There is a way to monitor the thermal shipper with a temperature probe. In the ideal world, the monitoring would go down to the individual vial.
We could go into shutdown like the rest of the world if somebody goes AWOL again! And then we’ll only have had 2000 people vaccinated?! Really, why so slow? Yes it would be fulfilling to help elderly etc but why not have 20 nurses at HSA giving the jab instead of just 4? There are plenty of people who want to be vaccinated but it’s going to be weeks before its their turn. If we want to achieve herd immunity wouldn’t we be well served by giving out jabs as fast as possible and then seek to convert the anti-vaxxers, many of whom are waiting to see how it goes before they have it (so show them its safe vs talking at them).
Also, why not keep GT clinic open simultaneously instead of shutting GT down to move to districts? We are in a global pandemic, people, and the lack of urgency is seriously alarming.
9:36 because there are not enough nurses to do so. Furthermore, there are also people who at the hospital etc for other issues not related to COVID. So their nurses must go awol just to suit your time frame for “the jab”?
Maybe stop being so critical, HSA is doing the best they can to administer the vaccine to front line workers and those in the community who wish to take it. There are also people who do not want it either due to hesitancy or other health concerns, which is their right.
Focus on yourself and stop worrying so much about what others are doing or not doing.
“Despite an extensive risk of exposure to COVID-19, the residents of Giglio Island, Italy, did not develop any symptom of SARS-CoV-2.”
The Conundrum of Giglio Island: unraveling the dynamics of an apparent resistance to COVID-19 – A descriptive study
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.08.20248948v1
Interesting but what’s your point? Maybe constant prolonged exposure to the toxic dump has made us all immune!
No point. Fuel for thoughts. Interesting information you won’t find in mainstream media.
Stop saying they are vaccinated. They have had the first of two jabs, and even the first one has no impact for 3 weeks. You are vaccinated when you have had both doses.
One is vaccinated when he is vaccinated instead of injected with the immune system booster.
Huge difference! You can still contract COVID, pass it on to others and get the covid symptoms after receiving Pfizer jab.
I think you are splitting hairs, so I will do likewise. The definition of “vaccinated” is “to treat with a vaccine to produce immunity against a disease”. Everyone who has received the first jab has been treated with a vaccine in order to produce immunity, so it is correct to say they have been vaccinated.
It is untrue to says that the first vaccine has no impact for three weeks. People who have been vaccinated will benefit from some protection from about 10 days after the vaccine. From day 15 to 21, the first shot’s efficacy against symptomatic covid-19 is close to 90%.
The second dose is required to prevent this level of protection from trailing off over time.
https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n18
The problem is storage and handling, that is why people ask this kind of questions.
Vaccines are fragile. They must be maintained at the temperatures recommended by vaccine manufacturers.
Once a facility receives a thermal shipper [such as that from Pfizer], it has to replace the dry ice within 24 hours and again every five days. And you can only open the box one or two times a day.
Pfizer’s thermal shipper holds 975 vials which means 10 of them were received.
Once a carton (195 vials=1,000 doses)transferred to a refrigerator, it must be administered within five days.
Once a dilutant creating five doses was dded to a vial, the solution is good for six hours.
Pharmaceutical companies report that from 5 to 20 percent of vaccines spoil during distribution. That will have to be factored in. There is a way to monitor the thermal shipper with a temperature probe. In the ideal world, the monitoring would go down to the individual vial.
“Everyone who has received the first jab has been treated with a vaccine in order to produce immunity, so it is correct to say they have been vaccinated.”
❗️WRONG.❗️ There is no dead, live, or any parts of the COVID virus in the solution that is being injected. One can still contract, transmit or get symptoms of the virus=no immunity.
“It is untrue to says that the first vaccine has no impact for three weeks.” ❗️THIS REMAINS UNKNOWN EVEN TO SCIENTISTS and MANUFACTURERS.❗️The vaccine is experimental-the trial continues.
From the link you provided:
· “How effective is just one dose?
A paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine stated that the efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 52.4% between the first and second dose (spaced 21 days apart). However, in its “green book” Public Health England said that during the phase III trial most of the vaccine failures were in the days immediately after the first dose, indicating that the short term protection starts around day 10. Looking at the data from day 15 to 21, it ❗️calculated❗️that the efficacy against symptomatic covid-19 was around 89% (95% confidence interval 52% to 97%). Meanwhile, ❗️Pfizer has said that it has no evidence ✅ that the protection lasts beyond the 21 days.”❗️
· “What do the manufacturers say?
In a joint statement Pfizer and BioNTech said, “The safety and efficacy of the vaccine ❗️has not been evaluated❗️ on different dosing schedules as the majority of trial participants received the second dose within the window specified in the study design . . . ❗️There is no data❗️ to demonstrate that protection after the first dose is sustained after 21 days.””
· The definition of the VACCINE:
A substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases, ❗️prepared from the causative agent of a disease❗️, its products, or a synthetic substitute, treated to act as an antigen without inducing the disease.
· The definition of the ANTIGEN:
A toxin or other foreign substance which induces an immune response in the body, especially the production of antibodies.
· What’s the difference between Covid-19 vaccines and conventional vaccines?
To trigger an immune response, many vaccines put a weakened or inactivated germ into our bodies. ❗️Not mRNA vaccines.❗️ Instead, they teach our cells how to make a protein—or even just a piece of a protein—that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mrna.html
Amazing effort. Well done all involved.