In our effort to deliver value for our people and business in the occupational health environment and address the needs of Empire’s crewmembers on board the Vessels during this very topical period of Covid-19 pandemic, the Company has decided to offer and participate in the Initiative of crew onshore Vaccination. All our crew are eligible for vaccination, subject to their consent and willing. The Company has also ensured that a vaccine will be offered and at no cost to the seafarer.
The Vaccination Initiative is now provided in United States ports and are available to who work aboard of seagoing ships embarking on international voyages. The predominant vaccines available is Johnson & Johnson which is a single-dose vaccine. Local requirements impact on the practical arrangements associated with implementing a vaccination program during a US port call including, whether the vaccine must be administered onboard or can be administered at an off-site location. In other words, inoculation of the vaccine is taking place in a local port clinic or aboard of a ship by an appointed medical services provider, which carries out its responsibilities under the programme.
In addition to the above mentioned, the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme for Seafarers is recently introduced and run into some European ports which we also intend to support and recommend to our seafarers on board.
As vaccines against COVID-19 are critical for all of us to get beyond the pandemic, but they are especially important for all seafarers in order to travel to their homes at the end of their contracts, to obtain new contracts, and to travel to join their new vessels, we hope the vaccination initiative will allow seafarers once again to enjoy the shore leave that is so necessary for their wellbeing. Besides, getting vaccinated helps in keeping seafarers from getting seriously ill, and from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19, which emerges to the protection of the people around, particularly co-workers at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
In the meantime, Empire also supports the programme of the Philippines Government which in association with Medical centers and Institutions in Manila (Red Cross etc) have already raised and initiated the prioritization of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the COVID-19 Vaccination Program and OFWs have been elevated to Priority Group A4 of the COVID-19 Vaccination Priority Framework. Their commitment is to reserve/secure vaccination doses for seafarers and targets to expedite the whole process in due time.
For the records, Empire’s Fleet already counts a number of vessels where most -if not all- the crew on board have been successfully vaccinated or on the way to get for all their crew vaccinated, while our goal is to have all our managed fleet crew vacinated within the period of 2021-2022.
Last but not least, Empire also supports the ashore Vaccination Programme where most of our seafarers ashore may get vaccinated under the respective local government units (LGU). As a result, more than 100 FILIPINO seafarers ashore have managed to get vaccinated in a period of 3 months.
Source: Zoi Petridi