NICOSIA — As many countries around the world are vaccinating residents against COVID-19, workers on ships traveling the globe have found it difficult to be inoculated, and now Cyprus has signed on to a program to help them.

Among the efforts to mark the International Day of the Seafarer, the port of Hamburg and Cyprus both announced efforts to expand vaccinations to seafarers, said the site Maritime Executive. 

Many of the nations that are home to seafarers have limited supplies of the vaccine prompting impassioned pleas to include crew members among the priority lists, the site said.

David Heindel, Chair of the International Transport Workers’ Federation’s Seafarers’ Section in his statement for the Day of the Seafarer said all the recognition activities were meaningless until seafarers received vaccines and had their rights restored

Cyprus' Shipping Ministry said the program would start there July 1 as it's an important destination and port of call for ships traveling in the East Mediterranean and from around the world.

While it said the preferred option remains providing vaccinations in the country of residence, Cyprus is offering vaccinations for the crew working on ships registered in Cyprus and managed by Cyprus companies. The shots will be provided at ports on Cyprus, anchorages, or roadsteads.

These two new programs follow similar initiatives that have been launched in other parts of the world. Seafarers working aboard ships have been able to receive their vaccinations at ports in the United States and health care companies there have been working with the shipping companies, including the cruise lines, to implement large-scale programs, the report said.