BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS — St. Kitts and Nevis has updated its vaccination policy to allow entry to international travellers and Canadians who have received mixed doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

According to the Ministry of Health, the new policy applies to those who’ve taken mixed vaccine two-dose regiments using World Health Organization (WHO) approved vaccines. WHO-approved vaccines include the following: AstraZeneca/COVIDSHIELD, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Sinopharm, Sinovac and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson).

The Ministry also states that Canadians who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine followed by a second dose of a different brand of mRNA vaccine, as well as those who received a viral vector vaccine such as AstraZeneca/COVIDSHIELD followed by an mRNA vaccine, will be considered fully vaccinated.

As announced in May, only fully vaccinated travellers are allowed entry into the destination. Exemptions are in place for citizens and residents of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and children under the age of 18 coming from international destinations, including Canada.

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In other news, the St. Kitts Tourism Authority (SKTA) has appointed Fathom Communications (Fathom Co) as its Canadian Public Relations Agency following an RFP process. Fathom Co’s scope of work will include trade and consumer media relations, content strategy, press trips, events and activations, social media strategy and co-marketing opportunities.

Noting that SKTA is “extremely optimistic” about the Canadian market, Lindsay F.P. Grant, Minister of Tourism, Transport and Ports for St. Kitts, said: “The addition of Fathom Communications is significant for us because we have never had a Public Relations Agency in Canada before and it demonstrates our increased commitment to the Canadian source market and rebuilding stayover visitation. We look forward to increasing our visibility in the Canadian market and sharing with them the unique story of St. Kitts, a quintessential Caribbean getaway that provides unparalleled offerings and unforgettable vacation memories.”

Racquel Brown, Chief Executive Officer at SKTA, added that the organization has a five-year growth plan in order to increase visitation from Canada, which has already reaped considerable dividends thanks, in large part, to increased Air Canada service. 

“While the pandemic had us all step back last year, we are now looking forward to tapping back into that growing interest and Fathom Communications has the creative capabilities and experience to help us build momentum across all our niche markets,” said Brown.