Thursday marked the launch of a new, twice-monthly news briefing, which Government House Communications Director Richard Motta Jr. said the briefings will include updates from the departments of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Tai Hunte-Ceaser, chief medical officer for the Health Department, said DOH has two major initiatives planned “that speak to the mission of improving access to health care, not just for individuals and families, but for the broader community.”
“That includes the animals we care for and cherish,” she said.
First, the territory’s annual Health and Wellness Fair will return to offer Virgin Islanders free services, including:
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Health screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, A1C, STIs and HIV
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Pap smears, HPV screening and breast exams for women
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Digital rectal exams for men
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Vaccinations for children and adults
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Back-to-school physicals for students
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Behavioral health services like screening for anxiety and depression
The fair will run from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on the following dates.
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June 2-6 at the St. Croix Educational Complex
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June 9-12 at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School
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June 13 at the Morris F. deCastro Clinic
Last summer’s fair was supported by the U.S. Defense Department’s Innovative Readiness Training Program, which brought more than 300 health care professionals and support staff to the territory. Hunte-Ceasar said Thursday that while the full IRT contingent will not be returning this year, they are sending a veterinary unit to provide services at no cost to pet owners at the Humane Society of St. Thomas from June 17-28. Appointments are required. The veterinary team is also expected to work with the St. Thomas Horse Racing Association and Coral World Ocean Park.
“This is truly a unique deployment that promotes health, compassion and collaboration across species, and we are deeply grateful to IRT and our local partners for making it possible,” she said. “We look forward to welcoming the IRT program to St. Croix in 2026 to continue this important work.”
Hunte-Ceasar said the Health Department is also planning to conclude Mental Health Awareness Month with a wellness walk at 2 p.m. on May 31, beginning at Claude O. Markoe Elementary School and ending at Buddhoe Park.
Territorial Epidemiologist Dr. Esther Ellis then took the podium to update the territory on efforts to safeguard the territory from the resurgence of measles in the continental United States.
To date, Ellis said there have been 1,024 confirmed cases reported across 31 states and 14 outbreaks in 2025. Three people have died, including two children. In nearly all cases — 96 percent — people who have contracted measles are either unvaccinated or their vaccination status is unknown, she said. Children under five account for 30 percent of reported cases.
“In the U.S. Virgin Islands, our greatest concern is the fact that more than 50 percent of the children under age six are unvaccinated for measles,” she said. “That leaves a large portion of our youngest population at high risk.”
That statistic, Ellis said, is what prompted the Health Department last week to mail 500 letters to parents who previously requested vaccine exemptions for their children, strongly urging them to reconsider.
“Why does this matter? Well first, measles is extremely contagious,” Ellis said Thursday. “One infected person can spread the virus to 10-12 others. Additionally, an infected person — once they leave a room, that room can be contagious to others that walk into it for two hours. It’s incredibly contagious.”
Ellis said measles is also potentially fatal, and complications include pneumonia, encephalitis, or brain swelling, hearing loss, and death. Measles is also preventable, Ellis said, and the MRR is 97 percent effective after two doses.
Ellis stressed that the territory has not had a confirmed measles case to date, “and with your help, we can keep it that way.”
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