December 15 deadline to report on readiness for covid19 vaccine

HEALTH Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) has given Trinidad and Tobago until December 15 to submit a report on its state of readiness to receive covid19 vaccines once approved by the World Health Organzation.

He said TT has to meet 18 requirements to be able to do so and the report is almost complete.

Deyalsingh was responding to questions from the media at the Health Ministry’s virtual press conference on Wednesday morning.

He said the ministry meets virtually with PAHO every Monday and Wednesday, and that last week, it was given the list of requirements to receive the vaccine.

He said having a multi-disciplinary team was one of the requirements, which is “basically in line with what we set up.”

He said other requirements of that team included having a leader, including logistics, finance, communications, and monitoring and evaluating – all of which the ministry has already set up.

“We now have to report back to PAHO by December 15 on our initial stage of readiness. They are quite happy with where we are now, but we have to submit a formal report by December 15.”

He said this report is almost complete, and once it is submitted, TT must report to PAHO “every other month afterward on our state of readiness.

“So everything is on stream as far as PAHO’s evaluation of TT (is concerned).”