Behind Guam but ahead of other insular areas

The CNMI’s vaccination rates is slightly behind that of Guam, but ahead of other U.S. insular areas, according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation, or KFF, an American non-profit organization that focuses on health care issues facing the nation, as well as U.S. role in global health policy. 

Citing the KFF analysis, Delegate Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Ind-MP) shared in a Facebook post a report that says the CNMI’s vaccination rate is slightly behind Guam but has progressed further than other U.S. insular areas. This includes Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“Although most insular areas initially got off to a strong start, they all now lag the rest of America in the percentage of the population fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” said Sablan.

In an interview with the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther Muña, she said 66% of the CNMI’s eligible population have already received their first dose. Except for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two inoculations.

With U.S. President Joe Biden setting the goal of getting 70% of U.S. adults to receive at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by July 4, Muña said the CNMI should be able to achieve that by the end of next week.

“President Biden wants 70% of American adults to have their first dose by July 4th. We’re way ahead of that [and] we expect to be way ahead of that by July 4th. We expect to meet 70% by the end of next week,” said Muña. The Biden administration projects to see 160 million adults fully vaccinated by Independence Day.

When asked if the CNMI will be able to achieve 85% herd immunity by mid-June—just in time for a planned travel bubble to start— Muña said they hope to do so, but they need more people to get vaccinated.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, as of May 1, every U.S. territory, except for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, has fully vaccinated more than 30% of their eligible populations.

Speaking at the media briefing last Friday, Muña reported that 57% of those eligible to be vaccinated in the CNMI have been fully vaccinated.

Fully vaccinated persons:
-16-19 years old: 1,240
-20-29 years old: 3,319
-30-39 years old: 3,409
-40-49: 4,526
-50-59 years old: 5,463
-60-69 years old: 3,310
-70-79 years old: 967
-80+ years old: 208

Quarantine procedures

At the same media briefing, Muña said there is a way for officials to verify travelers vaccination cards who are coming from Guam to Saipan and from Saipan to Guam.

“We accept Guam’s immunization record that has that seal right in the middle, and then for CNMI, we also have a vaccine record that…has a seal and the name of CHCC stamped on the immunization record,” said Muña.

To get this, request it via email at info@vaccinatecnmi.com or call (670) 682-7468. This will allow individuals to arrange for a pick-up in person or faxed/emailed to the individual who signs the release form.

“We do encourage those traveling into the CNMI—because one of the extra steps of allowing you to not quarantine—that we verify your record, to make sure that you have been fully vaccinated at least two weeks from your last dose. …Also we have to verify if wherever you’re going to go home to, that those individuals in your household have been fully vaccinated,” said Muña.

Muña said those who register ahead of time online will be tested on a rapid, on-arrival test. Muña advised that registration should be done three days before arrival.