Deyalsingh: Covid19 vaccines for frontline workers, elderly first

AS the world anticipates a covid19 vaccine being approved by the WHO, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said, "There is no plan to vaccinate 1.4 million people (in TT)."

He said there will be "priority groups" who will be vaccinated before the rest of the public.

He was speaking at the Health Ministry's virtual press conference on Wednesday morning.

He had said the Moderna covid19 vaccine, judging from current research, may be the ideal vaccine for TT, as it can be stored at higher temperatures than the Pfizer vaccine.

Asked about the distribution plan for these vaccines, he said, "You don't vaccinate the entire population at the same time. What you do (is) you prioritise.

"The first groups of people that will be prioritised will be all frontline workers, inclusive of healthcare workers, sanitation workers, police, army, Coast Guard...

"The second group you try to vaccinate will be those that bear the brunt of mortality, that is the elderly – typically 60-65 with co-morbidities.

"After you do that, you also target the immuno-compromised, regardless of age. So (if you are) a young cancer patient or a 45-year old cancer patient, you will be first in line for the vaccines."

After this, he said, "We will start to work ourselves down the order of priority into the general population."

He said the ministry has signed up to vaccinate 33 per cent of TT's population.