Philipsburg- The Vaccination Management Team (VMT) took notice of the issue which is circulating on social media since last Friday of persons, who presumably are not residing on the island, trying to register to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on Sint Maarten.

The registration process is currently aimed at making the vaccination available for all residents of Sint Maarten including those that reside in the country undocumented.

This group is estimated to be around a third of the population on the Dutch side. So, without including this group, it will be impossible to reach herd immunity and stop the spread of the virus. Therefore, any form of Identification (ID) is currently required when registering, not specifically a Sint Maarten ID.

However, the VMT has taken note of instances where tourists or so-called “snowbirds’’, specifically plan to come to Sint Maarten to receive the vaccine.

The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour (Ministry VSA) wants to be clear that the COVID-19 vaccines are not intended for these groups, but are reserved for persons who reside on Sint Maarten for at least six months or have a Sint Maarten ID.

The VMT is currently working on a solution to filter these ”vaccination tourists & snowbirds” out of the registration database and will update the public on possible changes in the registration procedures shortly.

Registration

The VMT states they wants to encourage everyone who’s residing on Sint Maarten to register for the vaccine. Almost 5.000 have registered already, but we will need approximately 40.000 residents to be vaccinated to realize herd immunity. “We are incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to get this vaccine, as they are extremely scarce all over the world. The fact that people from other countries are trying to get it here is a good example of that”, according to a press statement released on Sunday.

Registration can take place by clicking on the following link: https://forms.sintmaartengov.org/form.aspx?v=OGtn05kNmb The form now is also available in Spanish and Creole.

People who are unwilling or unable to fill out the registration online, can use the paper-based “COVID Vaccine Registration Form” which can be picked up at several locations, including CPS at the Vineyard Office Park Building, the Division of Labor Affairs at the Simpson Bay Public Service Center in Simpson Bay, Doctors’ offices, the Government Administration Building, and select pharmacies.

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