CPS Starts Rollout of New Updated COVID-19 Pfizer Bivalent Vaccine Booster on Thursday

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), will commence with the rollout of COVID-19 Pfizer Bivalent Booster on Thursday, October 06 for persons 60+ as well as health care providers and essential workers. The booster is entirely free of charge and voluntary. The COVID-19 Pfizer Bivalent Booster will be administered at CPS Offices at the Vineyard Building Office Park in Philipsburg from 08:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM every Thursday. The next group eligible for the booster is the under 60s with underlying conditions starting on Thursday, October 27. Persons 12+ will be eligible from Thursday, November 03. You must bring with you your vaccination card and a form of Identification (ID), and you must wear your mask while inside the clinic. COVID-19 remains a reality for Sint Maarten. The disease has not gone away, and people are still falling ill. The virus that causes COVID-19 has been changing over time into various variants. In order for the vaccine to be relevant and up-to-date and protect you from serious disease, Pfizer has come out with the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster dose. The bivalent COVID-19 vaccines are different compared to previous doses in that it includes a component of the original virus strain to provide broad protection against COVID-19 and a component of the omicron variant to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant. These are called bivalent COVID-19 vaccines because they contain these two components. The bivalent COVID-19 vaccines may also be referred to as “updated” COVID-19 vaccines booster dose. COVID-19 vaccines continue to help protect against severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 disease. As the virus changes and your immunity naturally decreases over time, you may lose some of that protection, and therefore it is very important for you to get the latest booster. The booster jab should keep any symptoms mild and prevent you from ending up in the hospital. For more information, you can call CPS 914, 542-1122 or email surveillance@sintmaartengov.org