Vincentians have been reminded that vaccination is still vital, despite the announcement by the World Health Organization that “COVID-19 is no longer a Global Health Emergency”-
The reminder has come from the Health Services Subcommittee in the Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment.
The Sub-Committee says in a Media Release that the WHO’s International Health Regulations Emergency Committee held its 15th meeting on COVID-19 on Thursday May 4th and concluded that a public health emergency of international concern or PHEIC relative to COVID-19 no longer exists as COVID-19 does not currently meet the requirements to be considered a Global Health Emergency.
The WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ad-hanom Ghebreyesus concurred with the Committee regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
He accepted their assessment that COVID-19 is now an established and ongoing public health issue which no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).
The discontinuation of the PHEIC means that the WHO Emergency Committee now sees COVID-19 as yet another “routine” threat to public health and should be included in our normal surveillance and other disease controlling activities.
The discontinuation of the PHEIC does not mean the end of a pandemic neither does it mean that COVID-19 is gone.
As such, the health services sub-committee reminded the public, especially those at greater risk of serious illness if infected with the SARS-Cov-2, not to let their guard down, as the virus continues to circulate in St. Vincent and the Grenadines as in other countries throughout the world.
The precautionary measures especially hand hygiene and vaccination are still important in reducing transmission of the virus and other infectious diseases like influenza.The committee says it will continue to update the public accordingly.
