~Pfizer vaccine works well, boosters not yet needed for general public~
PHILIPSBURG:--- Studies have shown us that, the vaccine offers excellent protection for the fully vaccinated even after 8 months! We can see this first hand on St. Maarten, where the death rate is 1.6% due to COVID-19 disease, and only 0.04% were fully vaccinated. We will continue to keep the public informed about scientific studies and our plans for boosters (through this page).
At this moment we continue to urge all persons to continue to get vaccinated so that we can reach herd immunity!
Some persons with severely reduced immunity (due to sickness) are often not sufficiently protected even after two doses. Some of these persons can achieve better protection after a third vaccination, the Health Council of The Netherlands recently advised. Third doses are different from boosters and ONLY considered for persons who a medical specialist evaluates as having a very weak immunity.
The Vaccination Management Team (VMT), in coordination with St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), hereby announces that a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccination is now available for severely immunocompromised patients on St. Maarten. On St. Maarten, approximately 300 - 400 patients are currently being treated by a medical specialist in the context of one or more critical health conditions that decrease immunity. These specific conditions are stated on the RIVM website at: https://www.rivm.nl/en/covid-19-vaccination/vaccines/immunocompromised-patients.
In coordination with SMMC, the VMT will be contacting the patients that are eligible as per the above-mentioned criteria. These persons identified as eligible by medical specialists only will be invited to receive the 3rd COVID-19 vaccination shot. All COVID vaccinations will be administered at CPS office located at the Vineyard building, Monday – Friday from 8.30 am – 12.00 pm and 1.30 pm and 3.30 pm.
