Health
COVID Vaccines on the verge of Expiration and Dumping
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, August 20, 2022 – The Turks and Caicos‘s islands have a very high rate of vaccine driven herd immunity but low booster uptake is putting it at risk and the islands may be approaching a vaccine dump if citizens remain reluctant; with some doses just over a month from expiring.
This is according to Acting Minister of Health E. Jay Saunders who explained that herd immunity occurred when 70 to 85% of a population was immune to a disease. Based on initial vaccination the islands would’ve been well above the threshold needed to secure herd immunity but compared to those early numbers barely anyone is taking their boosters.
There are 30 288 fully vaccinated individuals in the Turks and Caicos but only 7,272 are boosted; this is around 23 percent of the vaccinated population.
In terms of those who are double vaxxed the numbers are even lower, only 2,939 or around 9 percent of the population.
This is dangerous, Saunders said as it has been proven with COVID-19 vaccine that they have a tendency to wane over time and the majority of islanders were vaccinated more than 6 months prior- meaning lower efficacy.
It also means valuable doses are going to waste. When the Turks and Caicos’ COVID-19 booster program was rolled
out on October 4, 2021, the country was at the end of its fifth tranche of vaccines from the UK which was some 5,850 doses.
Between October and December a sixth and seventh round of vaccines were delivered to the islands from the UK.
While the government did not say how many doses were included in the sixth batch, the seventh had over 9,300 doses and another batch was delivered in February according to deputy Governor Anya Williams.
Each shipment of vaccines from the UK usually has exceeded 5,000 doses. Now, in August a little over 10,200 booster shots have been administered.
Dr Jeremy Myers, Deputy Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health and Human Services confirmed that certain doses were set to expire in September.
“Doses in Providenciales actually expire at the end of September. We do know, especially coming back to back to school some people traveled recently. We do strongly encourage, while you are doing your back to school shopping, to get a back-to-school booster.”
Uptake is also low for pediatric doses, (children under 5) with only 162 children being vaccinated with the first dose and only 128 receiving a second dose. The acting minister did not give an update on the 5 to 11 age group which also received vaccines earlier this year.
Expiry dates for purple-capped Pfizer vaccines which the UK provides to the Turks and Caicos were extended an additional three months from their initial six month shelf life provided they were kept in the prescribed temperature and conditions. Orange-capped vaccines which the island utilizes for young children and grey-capped vaccines have a shelf life of one year. No Pfizer vaccine regardless of storage condition or dosage should be used after 12 months.
Turks and Caicos Islands have dumped Covid-19 vaccines before; nearly all of the 300 doses of AstraZeneca branded vaccines received in March 2021 expired due to low interest in the product.
Expiry dates are calculated based on the manufacture date and therefore must be discarded 12 months after being produced.
“We’re doing very badly as a country with people taking their boosters.— if you’ve been vaccinated try to get your boosters every six months,” urged Saunders.
Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
Turks and Caicos, September 6, 2025 – COVID-19 fears in the Turks and Caicos Islands that once had residents on edge are now giving way to a sense of relief. The Ministry of Health and Human Services reports a dramatic reversal: from dozens of new cases in July to zero cases and zero hospitalizations today.
Between August 17 and 23, 2025, officials confirmed no new cases, no hospitalizations, and no new deaths. Just two recoveries were recorded, bringing the national recovery tally to 6,866. The total confirmed cases since 2020 stand at 6,922, with deaths unchanged at 41. Health officials say August has been relatively quiet overall, with 19 new cases and recoveries recorded for the month — a fraction of what the islands faced just weeks earlier.
The contrast could not be sharper. The most concerning bulletin came in mid-July, when the Ministry reported 54 new cases in a single
week. Ten were fresh positives, while the other 44 came from a backlog of April samples. At that time, two new hospitalizations were recorded, and the islands mourned one additional COVID-related death, bringing the total to 41. It was a sobering reminder that the virus was still circulating, pushing recoveries to 6,845 and raising the cumulative case count to 6,910. The July spike stirred fear among residents and renewed calls for vigilance, as community spread and delayed lab results painted a worrying picture.
Fast forward to late August, and the numbers tell a very different story. Not only are new cases negligible, but the hospitals are reporting no COVID-19 patients at all. Officials say testing continues across a wide range of categories, and the Ministry urges the public to stay cautious: wash hands, wear masks in crowded spaces, protect the vulnerable, and get vaccinated. But the tone now is one of optimism.
Since the pandemic began in 2020, Turks and Caicos has recorded nearly 7,000 cases in total, with 6,866 recoveries and 41 deaths. The islands’ small population means every case has felt significant, and surges like July’s were especially unsettling. But today’s figures suggest the country has reached a new stage: COVID-19 is no longer the disruptive force it was. The Ministry credits continued public vigilance and the accessibility of free testing and vaccines at government clinics. While the numbers are cause for celebration, health leaders are careful not to declare the fight over. The Ministry’s latest bulletin reminds residents to maintain hygienic practices, follow self-isolation guidelines if infected, and ensure vaccinations are up to date.
The pandemic may not be entirely behind the Turks and Caicos, but compared to the frightening figures of July, the near-zero landscape of August offers a powerful sign of hope.
The Ministry released the bulletin on September 2, confirming that for the week of August 17–23, no new cases, hospitalizations, or deaths were recorded — a sharp contrast to the surge just weeks earlier.
Health
Turks and Caicos Islands Health Delegation Completes Strategic Visits to Florida and Cayman Islands to Advance Health Sector Reform and Strengthen Treatment Abroad Programme
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 22 August 2025 — A high-level delegation from the Ministry of Health and Human Services (MOHHS) has successfully concluded strategic working visits to Florida and the Cayman Islands from August 5–13, 2025. The mission aimed to strengthen the Treatment Abroad Programme, explore innovative health system models, and advance the Turks and Caicos Islands’ health sector reform agenda through strategic regional partnerships.
Delegation Members:
- Hon. Kyle Knowles – Minister of Health and Human Services
MoHHS Team with Health City Executive Management Team
- Mrs. Desiree Lewis – Permanent Secretary, Health and Human Services
- Mr. Lynrod Brooks – Director, Health Policy and Planning
- Ms. Florinda Talbot – Contract Performance Manager
- Mrs. Romaine Missick-Smith – CEO, Health Regulations Authority
- Ms. Jasmine Malcolm – Executive Administrator, MOHHS
Minister of Health and Human Services, Hon. Kyle Knowles, highlighted the significance of these engagements:
“These visits were not ceremonial; they were strategic, focused, and impactful. In Florida, we reinforced partnerships with leading healthcare providers to ensure TCI patients referred overseas receive the highest standards of clinical care and patient support. In the Cayman Islands, our mission was two-fold: to study the operations of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority as a model to guide the establishment of our own Health Services Authority, and to strengthen ties with Cayman-based treatment partners, where many of our patients are referred under the Treatment Abroad Programme. Both visits underscored that small island states share many health challenges, and that collaboration, innovation, and adapting best practices to our local context are essential to achieving better health outcomes for our people.”
Florida – Strengthening the Treatment Abroad Programme
MoHHS Team with Cayman Minsterial officials
During the period August 5–9, the delegation visited Broward Medical Center, University of Miami Health System, Cleveland Clinic, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, and the International Reinsurance Managers Network. They also toured REVA Air Ambulance Services to review medical evacuation operations and patient transfer management. Discussions centered on patient care pathways, specialized services in ophthalmology, cardiology, oncology, and pediatrics, family-centered care models, advanced telemedicine for pre- and post-treatment consultations, and reinsurance strategies for high-cost overseas cases. Key outcomes include agreements to expand telehealth consultations, develop a standardized referral package to reduce delays, explore reinsurance arrangements to safeguard public health budgets, and establish specialized pediatric transfer protocols.
Cayman Islands – Health Sector Reform and Treatment Abroad Partnerships
From August 10–13, the delegation engaged with senior executives at Health City Cayman Islands, including Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil (Clinical Director), Shomari Scott (Chief Business Development Officer), Rebecca Brooks (Head of Marketing and Sales), and Ingrid Harris (Sales and Marketing). The team toured two hospital facilities and held in-depth discussions with Lizzette Yearwood, Chief Executive Officer along with leadership staff of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority
The focus was two-fold:
- Health Sector Reform – Examining governance, financial management, and operational structures of the Cayman Islands HSA model
MoHHS Team with CEO and senior official Cayman HSA
to inform TCI’s development of its own Health Services Authority.
- Treatment Abroad Strengthening – Reviewing current referral arrangements with Cayman healthcare partners to enhance patient care coordination and improve treatment pathways for TCI patients referred to Cayman.
The delegation also met with Honourable Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, Minister for Health, Environment, Sustainability, and Honourable G. Wayne Panton, Parliamentary Secretary for Health. The team concluded with a meeting with Acting Premier Hon. Gary B. Rutty and Cabinet members, reaffirming the shared commitment to improving healthcare access and outcomes through regional collaboration.
Next Steps
The Ministry will incorporate lessons learned from these visits into ongoing health reform planning, ensuring that the proposed Health Services Authority is tailored to TCI’s needs while reflecting regional best practices. Efforts will continue to ensure that the Treatment Abroad Programme delivers efficient, sustainable, and patient-centered care.
