by Kevon Browne
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): The vaccination of children and the administration of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine were the topics at hand for the last COVID-19 press briefing hosted by the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC), which featured two experts from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).
The PAHO representatives are on a four-day mission to address vaccine concerns and detailed observations of the Federation’s vaccination programme.
Dr Darlene Omeir, PAHO Advisor on Family and Community Health, reported on the details of their missions here on St. Kitts and Nevis and commended the territory on the vaccination rate thus far.
In his presentation, Dr Milton Britton Barillas, Paediatrician and PAHO /WHO Technical Advisor, reminded the public that vaccination programmes for children are a regular part of their lives and the benefits of taking the vaccine outweigh any risks.
Since the start of the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine, the acceptance rate for children has been low. Nearly eight percent of the target, 4,800 children, aged 12-17 years olds have received a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine as of September 28, and two percent have gone back to receive their second dose.
