While there have been repeated calls to add seafarers to the
priority list of those individuals eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, a series of
logistical challenges present hurdles to implementing a vaccination program for
crews aboard their ships. A structure and protocol are required to implement
the inoculations of seafarers.
Cyprus' Shipping Deputy Minister Vassilios Demetriades has
stepped forward proposing a global approach to delivering COVID-19 vaccinations
to seafarers as part of an effort to help alleviate the global crew change
crisis. Cyprus believes it has developed the foundation of a workable solution
to inoculations.
“Despite the international and EU efforts to date, crew
changes are still very difficult, or not even possible in many countries. A
global seafarer vaccination program would greatly assist the enhancement of
crew changes. While we recognize that this is a complex issue in terms of both
procedures and logistics, we believe that by working together a practical,
feasible solution can be found,” said Demetriades.
Among the challenges they are seeking to address for the
logistics of a vaccination program for seafarers, are the issues of the country
of origin or residence of the seafarers, transport, and customs restrictions.
They also recognize that there are issues of availability of the approved or
authorized vaccines, as well as the challenge of how to administer the
two-stage vaccination process currently required by the first vaccines to win
international authorizations. Further, there are the questions of the subsequent
time required for a seafarer to be considered as inoculated.
In letters to the EU Transport and Health Commissioners and
IMO Secretary-General, Demetriades proposed what Cyprus believes could be an
effective protocol to expedite the inoculation of seafarers. The process
focuses on separating seafarers into two groups based on the duration of the
sea voyage.
Seafarers that work on short sea routes would remain under
national jurisdiction as their work keeps them closer to home. Cyprus suggests
for these seafarers it would be easier to achieve regional cooperation.
For deep-sea shipping, Cyprus believes that vessels
operating on long-distance intercontinental routes should be designated as an
isolated COVID-19 zone; a bubble much as the industry has been operating since
the start of the pandemic. The focus would be on seafarers who work
long-distance, international routes who are ashore on leave. It would require a
coordinated global approach to ensure adequate numbers of approved or
authorized vaccines, acceptable to all governments, are available to seafarers
for inoculation in their country of residence before they travel to join their
respective ships. Under this structure, crewmembers aboard the ships would wait
until they returned home and then be placed into the priority group to be
vaccinated before their next contract.
“Cyprus is determined to work constructively towards the
deployment of a global seafarer vaccination program in the most efficient way
and is willing to be involved in discussions to determine a coordinated
approach. We hope that regulators and industry alike will be willing to join
us.”
Critical for this program to work is the recognition by
governments of seafarers as key workers that play an important part in maintain
global commerce.