The GSD has reacted to the statement by the Government which builds on its lockdown announcement on 2 January 2021 in relation to the access by all British Overseas Territories including Gibraltar to 5,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

The party says that, whilst it is clear that the Government is being led by the vaccination experts in the United Kingdom, the Opposition seeks clarification and publication of the vaccination strategy which the Chief Minister confirmed in his lockdown announcement would be provided to him immediately.  It is understood that other Overseas Territories, such as the Cayman Islands anticipate making significant inroads in relation to widespread vaccination by the middle of March 2021 and it is hoped that Gibraltar is following a similar or more improved timetable.  

A statement continued: “The Government has confirmed that the one dose strategy of the Pfizer vaccine will cover all if not almost all of our elderly and vulnerable members of our community. It is understood that the strategy is to deliver one dose however the advice being disseminated in the United Kingdom is that this would be follow by a further second dose within 12 weeks to improve the prospects of longer lasting immunity against Coronavirus.  The GSD ask that the Government publish the detailed strategy of the roll out and the administering of the vaccine to front line workers, the vulnerable, elderly, other members of our community with increased risk and the wider population.”

Shadow Minister for Health Elliott Phillips, said:

“Whilst we understand that the Government is taking advice from the United Kingdom experts there is significant interest in our community as to how the Government will make the vaccine widely available once the vaccine has been provided to our vulnerable and our front line workers. It is becoming increasingly clearer that the restoration of social and economic freedoms will be linked in part to the safe vaccination of our community and therefore it is critical that the Government set out its detailed strategy and timeline for the rolling out of this important vaccine and when it expects to receive further shipments of both the Pfizer vaccine and delivery of the much hailed Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine."