The 20-year-old candidate from the Netherlands, who was due to compete in the final for Miss World in Puerto Rico in December, will not do so now because of the Covid-19 vaccination required.
Dilay Willemstein from Eindhoven announced on Instagram that she was not ready for the vaccination and does not feel comfortable about getting the shot. She stands by her decision, she said.
According to Willemstein, the breaking point came when a date was set for her jab appointment, at which point she decided she could not go through with it. Before that, she had thought about it for a long time, and at one point said she had considered accepting the vaccination.
“I think I would have very much regretted doing something that I am not comfortable with”. The decision was not easy for her, said Willemstein. “But one door will close, and another will open,” she said.
The head of the Miss World Netherlands agency, Katja Maes, told the media that she had not asked about the vaccination status of the contestants. This medical question is a private matter. She also did not know in advance whether there would be a problem without vaccination. She only heard about it from the Instagram posting, said Maes.