I am very pleased to announce that on 17 February Cayman will receive 2000 doses of the paediatric formulation of the Pfizer vaccine on the BA flight. The UK heard our pleas for Cayman to be allowed to move ahead with vaccinating our 5-11 year olds as quickly as we could. The UK has given us permission to proceed in advance of this wider roll-out in the UK. The Health Services Authority will be issuing a vaccination schedule for this age group shortly. Children will need two shots at least 8 weeks apart. As we increasingly learn to live with Covid, the capacity to roll-out vaccines to 5-11s will be another important tool we have to protect our community. 

It remains vitally important that the uptake of the booster shot increases significantly. Our booster rate is low at only around 30% of the eligible population, well below that achieved in the UK. We know from irrefutable evidence that the booster provides essential protection as immunity wanes over time after 2 doses. It is welcome that cases of Covid are dropping. Our high vaccination take-up is saving precious lives in Cayman. Our death rate remains very low on any global comparison and sadly it is overwhelmingly the unvaccinated who are getting seriously ill. Please get your booster if you are eligible. It is the best way we know to protect yourself, your family/friends and the wider community.