BELIZE CITY, Tues. Dec. 21, 2021– According to data released yesterday, Monday, December 20, 2021, a total of 198,816 persons in the country have been fully vaccinated. The data further indicated that a total of 11,736 persons have received just 1 dose of one of the two-dose vaccines available in Belize. This means that at least 210,552 persons within the country have at least started the inoculation process. At this time, however, the Ministry of Health and Wellness is urging citizens who have been fully vaccinated for a stipulated period of time (reportedly 3-6 months) to now receive booster shots — additional jabs of the vaccine which are said to provide an increased level of immunity against the COVID-19 virus.
At this time, there are a few hundred thousand vaccines still in stock in the country. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Health and Wellness even announced its intention to donate some of the AstraZeneca vaccines which had been received in the earlier stages of the pandemic and which might expire in the near future to a country with less vaccines so that these can be put to good use instead of being wasted. In Belize, it is apparent that some citizens remain hesitant of getting the vaccine, since more than half of our population remain unvaccinated despite a countrywide vaccination campaign.
The Health Ministry is still focusing on vaccinations as the most effective way to prevent serious illness, hospitalizations and deaths caused by the COVID-19 virus. Booster shots are a part of the focus, since the added layer of defense to our immune system will be needed to protect citizens from the new, and reportedly highly contagious, Omicron variant.
With the country’s land borders set to open at the start of 2022, and the Omicron variant already detected in neighboring Mexico, officials believe it is just a matter of time before the new COVID-19 strain is detected in Belize. For now, the Ministry is urging citizens to get vaccinated before the upcoming holidays in order to protect themselves, friends and family members.
Of note, positive data is being released on the added protection gained from booster shots. Experts say that without these boosters, the Omicron variant could cause widespread infection among the world’s population.
Some governments, including the government of Belize, initially recommended that boosters be administered six months after a person has been fully vaccinated, but have since changed that position and are now allowing boosters to be administered as early as three months after initial inoculation.
In related news, last week the US CDC released a statement discouraging the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The advisory is recommending that other vaccines be used instead of the J&J vaccine, since new data is linking that one-dose jab to the formation of rare blood clots.