UNC MP: Trinidad and Tobago 'may be last in line' for vaccines

CARONI East MP Dr Rishad Seecheran said there can be no economic recovery for Trinidad and Tobago if the pandemic is not brought under control.

He said Government has mismanaged the procurement of vaccines for citizens and foresees a covid19-induced lockdown of the borders for another two years.

At the virtual platform of the United National Congress (UNC) on Monday night, Seecheran claimed TT has shifted from the top rank in the world for managing covid19 in 2020 to being at the bottom of the list in February 2021.

He said while 77 countries have already started their vaccination programme, including Barbados and Dominica, which have received additional vaccines from Indiaas well as their allocation from Covax, TT is yet to receive a first shipment.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh has said TT is expected to get 120,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines around March.

Seecheran said that will only vaccinate 60,000 people, as each person would require two doses.

He said for countries like Dominica and Barbados, which had the foresight to source additional vaccines, life can soon return to normal and their economies reopen to the world.

Barbados recently received 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from India which it promised to share with some Caricom countries including TT.

“Here in TT, we would have to vaccine one million of our citizens, that is two million doses, before our lockdown could stop. Until then we would be under health regulations, as it would be reckless for government to lift it while the (virus is) still circulating in our communities.

“It seems we may be last in the line to vaccinate our population, and because of this, our borders continue to be closed.”

When asked about engaging other sources for vaccines, Deyalsingh said in Parliament Government had engaged Pfizer but was under a non-disclosure agreement.

Seecheran said from his research Pfizer’s vaccines were totally sold out and questioned why, given the strong ties between the governments of TT and India, that facility was not pursued.

He said TT could have also benefited from vaccines as Barbados did.

“This is the very same vaccine being provided to us by the Covax facility. The vaccine (50 million doses per month) is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer for AstraZeneca."

He said the vaccine can be safely stored in the temperature of a domestic refrigerator.

He also questioned statements by the Government that TT had started talks in October 2020 with China as a possible vaccine source.

“I would like to ask Dr Rowley which of these Chinese vaccines are currently registered with the World Health Organization (WHO)?

“Both the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines are currently in phase three trials, meaning the Chinese vaccines have not completed their mandatory tests before they are certified by a foreign country for non-emergency use.

“I m asking the Minister of Health: has our policy changed in the use of vaccines? Are we using vaccines that have not been certified?

"We can't simply evaluate a vaccine based on a drug-maker's statement. More data is needed," Seecheran said.