Amid frustration by the lack of progress and slow pace of international efforts in seafarers’ vaccination, InterManager, the association representing ship and crew managers, vowed to work separately to obtain COVID-19 vaccines.
Vaccination of the world’s 1.5 million seafarers is considered vital in order to keep global trade routes open, but it requires the designation of seafarers as key workers, to prioritize them in traveling from and to vessels.
In this respect, the United Nations has designated seafarers as “essential workers” but so far only 58 countries have followed this directive. Meanwhile, vast numbers of seafarers originate from developing countries where the official rollout of vaccinations are hampered by the availability of vaccines.
Several shipping organizations, associations, unions and private companies have called for these regulatory loopholes to be resolved but there has been no significant progress.
InterManager says enough is enough – realising that the international efforts have not been sufficient in recognising the importance of the vaccination of seafarers, we will now work on sourcing vaccinations separately through legitimate channels to enable our members to vaccinate their seafarers as soon as possible and to support others within the maritime industry to do the same,
…said InterManager President Mark O’Neil.
Mr O’Neil stressed that InterManager will continue to collaborate and give full support to the IMO and fellow shipping industry NGOs in sourcing vaccination for seafarers. However, he expressed his disappointment at the slow speed of international efforts:
The IMO is hampered by having to negotiate through the United Nations, World Health Organisation and others. Sitting back and waiting for these bureaucratic institutions is only part of the solution. The world’s seafarers need our help and as ship and crew managers we must work together to do all we can to ensure that their lives and livelihoods are protected,
…he noted.
SOMEONE HAS TO STEP FORWARD AND DO SOMETHING.I HAVE NO IDEA HOW SUCCESFULL THE MOVE CAN BE BUT AT LEAST SOMEBODY SEEMS TO UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM.
LET US HOPE FOR THE BEST.