Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton says second dose vaccinations will begin next week for individuals who were among the first batch to be inoculated in March.

Tufton made the announcement while addressing last evening’s (April 29) COVID Conversations and noting the arrival of 55,200 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses from the COVAX facility on Monday (April 26).

According to Tufton, starting next week “we will begin to administer the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccines for persons who would have already received their first dose”.

During the month of May “some 39,000 persons…will become eligible for the second dose of the vaccine…(and) 40,000 dose of the 55,200 that arrived in the island earlier this week are reserved for these persons”, said the minister.

He added that “the remaining 15,200 will be pooled with the 11,800 that we previously had in stock and offered to current priority groups”.

The health minister again reiterated the importance of second dose vaccine take-up, stating “that it is critical as we seek to get the maximum protection from the vaccines”.

“It is so important that we do not get complacent thinking that a first dose is enough. It will give you some protection, but that protection diminishes over time and the second dose is what you need to give you the optimal level of protection,” said Tufton.

Persons who are eligible to receive their second dose are being advised to make it their duty to do so. Second dose appointment dates can be found on the first dose vaccination card, or persons can call or visit the location their dose was administered to ascertain their appointment date.