Vaccine hesitancy on the part of players and their parents could derail Spot Valley High’s Inter-Secondary School’s Sports Association (ISSA) daCosta Cup football season before it even starts.

Just two members of the squad have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Jamaica Observer was told this week. Further, given the very strict protocols that have been laid out, the school could be on the outside looking in when the season starts on Novembre 13.

Kerman Russell, team manager for the Spot Valley High team, said there were some concerns with whether the team would be allowed to take part.

“At this point there are still some uncertainty as to participation because of the COVID-19 vaccination protocols; just two boys have taken the first dose so far,” he said.

Russell went on to explain that both boys have not made themselves avalable and that their parents had so far not given permission.

Organisers ISSA has said only vaccinated players and team officials would be allowed to participate in competitions, adding there would be no exemptions.

“We are in constant discussion regarding vaccination and right now we are taking the stance which is aligned to the government’s position which is that face-to-face school will only be available to those students who are fully vaccinated,” ISSA president Keith Wellington told the Observer last month.

“We are, therefore, thinking that in order for us to get approval for our competitions to resume, those students and other members of the team who are going to be involved in the competitions will have to be fully vaccinated,” he added.

Students under the age of 18 are recomended to take the Pfizer brand vacine, and after a period where the island was out of supply, a shipment was received earlier this week.

Russell said: “We are hopeful that the players will go out and convince their parents to allow them to get the vaccine.”

If they beat the vaccine deadline, former National Under-17 player Loren Sailsman, who was part of the team that qualified for the Fifa World Championships in 1999, would take over as coach.

Russell said the team was a young one with few players left over from the 2019 squad with players from the Under-14 and Under-16 teams making up the majority.

“It would be about participation for us. Training has not been as good as we would have liked. Once again because of COVID-19 protocols, we started in July, but had to stop and just started back a week ago so it will be a work in progress,” he said.