TT getting 240,800 doses

THIS country is expected to receive approximately 240,800 doses of covid19 vaccines in the coming months. Health Ministry Permanent Secretary (PS) Asif Ali stated this to members of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) during a virtual meeting on Wednesday.

He identified China, India, Covax and Caricom’s initiative through the African Medical Supplies Platform as the avenues which vaccines are being sourced. Regarding China, India and Covax, Ali said TT will receive 100,000, 40,000 and 100,800 doses respectively. On Tuesday, the first 33,600 of the 100,800 doses of AstraZeneca from Covax arrived in TT.

After PAAC chairman Bridgid Annisette-George observed that vaccines being sent by the US to Mexico and Canada were described as loans, Ali replied that in the case of the doses TT will receive from India and China, “it’s a gift, not a loan.”

Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram estimated that 60 to 70 per cent of the population would need to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity. He stressed, “(Covid19) Protocols will have to be followed until we get to a stage where you achieve herd immunity, through immunity or through actual infection.”

While this happened in the past with Zika in certain parts of the world, Parasram observed, “It doesn’t seem to be the case with this particular covid19.” Once the first doses are administered on April 6, to groups identified in phase one of the rollout programme (such as health care workers and people with non-communicable diseases), he said, “The best case scenario for a second dose will be seven weeks.”

Parasram added that the estimated arrival of additional vaccines could be a factor which determines when the second dose is administered to those who already got their first dose. He reiterated that people below the age of 18, women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, people with a history of allergic reactions and people who have an allergic reaction to the first dose, are those who should not receive the vaccine.

Parasram explained that people with HIV or who have immuno-compromised states (such as severe cancer) could receive the vaccine once their doctor does a clinical assessment and determines it is safe for them to do so. He also said people who are hospitalised would not be vaccinated.