Health Minister: 134,000 to be vaccinated by August 31

At the current covid19 vaccination capacity, the Ministry of Health expects about ten per cent of the population, approximately 134,000 people, to be fully vaccinated by the end of August.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh made the statement on Saturday at a press conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.

He said about 60,000 people should start receiving their second dose of AstraZeneca around June 6 as the interval for the second dose was eight to 12 weeks. Vaccination with China’s Sinopharm gift of 100,000 doses started on Friday and would vaccinate 50,000 people.

“At the close of play yesterday (Friday) we would have vaccinated 1,936 people, which is a phenomenal response. Our estimate was 1,500 (per day).”

He said the South West Regional Health Authority (RHA) vaccinated 556, North West RHA vaccinated 255, North Central RHA vaccinated 695, Eastern RHA vaccinated 310, and Tobago vaccinated 120 people.

“It is our intention to use 20 to 25 vaccination days maximum to get out these 50,000 shots because the interval for the second shot of Sinopharm, unlike AstraZeneca, is three to four weeks.”

According to Deyalsingh, the ministry put aside 1,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccines for the staff and residents of homes for the aged and the vaccination of the staff already began. However, he said Caroline Ruiz, president of the TT Residential Care Association, is urging the guardians of the residents to give written consent to vaccinate their loved ones.

“We can not vaccinate these individuals if, for mental or other reasons, they can not give informed consent, and we have a very litigious society.”

In addition, he said the 24,000 doses of AstraZeneca, 16,000 from St Vincent and the Grenadines and 8,000 from Bermuda, would be used to vaccinate people in various “frontline” ministries from May 24.

The ministries of National Security (police, prison, fire, defence force), Works and Transport, Education, Energy, Finance, Local Government, Attorney General and Legal Affairs, Social Development and Family Services, Public Utilities (WASA, TTEC), health care workers and street dwellers would be allocated certain days to get their vaccines at the National Racquet Centre in Tacarigua.

He urged employees from WASA, TTEC and other ministries and state entities to take the opportunity to get vaccinated as soon as possible as the vaccines from Bermuda and St Vincent expires on June 30.