May 25, 2021
We would like to thank the US authorities, the Central Health Care services, our local agents and the administering clinics for making vaccine supply available to seafarers who wish to receive it.
The vaccination effort, organized through Central Healthcare Services, safely administers the vaccine to seafarers during port calls in the US. All crewmembers are briefed and assessed on the eligibility, benefits, and possible symptoms before being administered with the vaccine. A vaccination card, showing which vaccine they receive and the date, is given after being vaccinated.
Keeping our colleagues around the globe safe during the COVID-19 pandemic is of the utmost importance. Protecting our onboard crew by improving access to voluntary vaccinations is just one way we can make our vessels safer places to work and uphold our commitment to Operational Excellence.
To date, seafarers onboard 6 vessels from our Tankers fleet and 2 vessels from our Gas fleet have had access to the vaccine through this effort, and we anticipate an additional 13 vessels from the Tanker fleet and 6 vessels from the Gas fleet to be offered access in the weeks to come.
As noted by the crew onboard Sebarok Spirit,
“We the crew of Sebarok Spirit were fortunate and thankful to the management for arranging the COVID-19 vaccination. The effort and primary concern for safety and health is demonstrated by proactively providing an additional layer of protection in this hard time, not only to the crew, but also as an assurance to their loved ones at home.” The crew onboard Esther Spirit added: “We are proud to be part of Teekay Tankers who thought of crews’ wellbeing. This is a wonderful initiative.”
Our seafarers from the Sean Spirit and Pan Europe responded very positively to the vaccinations and expressed their gratitude for the initiative.
“It’s the first step to bring our life back to normal. It’s a great job which again demonstrates our spirit of taking care for colleagues and our families.”
As we continue to grapple with impacts of the pandemic, it is our collective responsibility to maintain as our highest priority the health and well-being of our staff, our families, and our communities. Seafarers have been on the front line of this pandemic, facing unprecedented challenges and making incredible sacrifices as they continuously demonstrate unwavering resilience. We are grateful for initiatives such as this for enabling vaccine access, and hope that other countries will follow suit to ensure all seafarers who wish to receive the vaccine have the opportunity to do so.
