The UK will send a final shipment of COVID-19 vaccines to the BVI this Wednesday, as part of a revised Memorandum of Understanding between the UK Health Security Agency and the Government of the BVI.

Pediatric doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for children ages five and older, as well as doses of Pfizer’s bivalent vaccine which provides enhanced protection against the Omicron variant and the original strain, are included in the shipment.

Health Minister Marlon Penn, says trends in the BVI are encouraging, and that severe infection and hospitalization rates due to COVID are currently low while encouraging persons to protect themselves by getting vaccinated or boosted.

“I once again urge persons, especially those at higher risk, including persons over 65 years of age and those with chronic diseases to seriously consider vaccination and boosters to increase your level of protection,” Penn said.

He warned that reports from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predict that the influenza season may be worsened by a concurrent seasonal increase in both COVID-19 and other viral respiratory infections.