Some men and women who work on the seas are having to get multiple vaccinations in order to comply with different regulations.
There are issues with international travel vaccine recognition and approval, according to the Global Maritime Forum. Some seafarers have taken repeated vaccinations at an unknown health risk.
Russia's Sputnik V is not on the approved list of vaccines by the World Health Organization. The European Medicines Agency has a list of approved vaccines.
China, the Philippines, Indonesia, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine are some of the countries where sailors come from. Some countries have not been able to get enough vaccines. Some sailors have taken to getting shots of WHO-approved vaccines even though they've already been inoculated with non- WHO-approved vaccines, just so they can work on ships in other parts of the world.
Stephen Cotton, General Secretary of the International Transport Workers' Federation, said that it's unacceptable that seafarers have to get multiple vaccines to do their jobs.
The Global Maritime Forum said in its report that there are many problems in the shipping industry, including vaccine hesitancy and supply challenges. Access to booster shots is likely to be a new challenge in the coming months.
The emergence of the new Omicron variant has thrown another wrench into the works, as governments tighten travel restrictions and other measures to contain the spread of the virus.
Sailors swap out to take a break after four to six months at sea at key crew change hubs, but restrictions have already kicked in.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said in a circular that crew changes for people with recent travel history to seven African countries were suspended on Thursday. Hong Kong has put restrictions on 44 countries.
China mandating a seven- to seven-week quark for returning seafarers and banning crew changes is rippling down the already-strained global supply chain.
We are wearing seatbelts and bracing for impact. Carl Schou, president and CEO of Wilhelmsen Ship Management, told Splash247 that they are expecting a longerQuarantine period, tighter testing regime and restrictions for vessels coming from South Africa and neighboring countries.
