With the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus taking hold in more countries across the region, Caribbean countries may now need to attain 90 per cent vaccination in order to achieve herd immunity.
So says executive director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Dr Joy St John, who explained that the variant was popping up in more territories and was likely to shift the goalpost for some mitigation measures.
“We have the Delta variant, and I need to tell you that the Delta variant is spreading very quickly, to the point that some countries will soon realise that they have community spread. So I want to focus on getting as much vaccinations as possible because studies are showing that with the Delta variant spreading and taking hold and entrenched in the countries, you may now need to get 90 to 95 per cent of the eligible population vaccinated before there is any possibility of those who are not vaccinated [being] protected from the virus,” said St John.
She made the comments during CARPHA’s virtual launch of its Vaccine Acceptance Survey, which captured data from six Caribbean countries, including Barbados. (CLM)
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