ROYAL Bahamas Defence Force Commodore Raymond King was the first in the law enforcement agency to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine yesterday.

Conducted at the RBDF base, the inoculations were led by the force’s medical doctor, Lieutenant Commander Doctor Derwin Johnson, along with the medical facility’s professional staff. Lisa Adderley, the deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of National Security, also received the vaccination.

Being the first in the organisation to get vaccinated, Commodore King encouraged officers and marines to make the right decision.

“As a fighting force where personal readiness is of the utmost importance, it is critical, although voluntary, to consider the implications linked to not being vaccinated, and exposed to the threats in the performance of our duties which require us to interact with other nationals at sea, where the risk is higher,” said Commodore King. “I, therefore, encourage other organisational members to follow my lead, as I lead from the front, and accept the vaccine to ensure your readiness as a fit and healthy force.”

Yesterday marked the first day of vaccinations at the RBDF base after the process was first rolled out at other locations last week.

The RBDF said it will give further updates with numbers of personnel who have voluntarily accepted the vaccine.