PM: Two shipments of vaccines on the way

THE Prime Minister said on Saturday there is some light at the end of the tunnel, as the country has secured a significant number of vaccines to accelerate the covid19 vaccination programme.

Speaking at the media briefing at the Prime Minister’s residence, St Ann’s, Dr Rowley said: “I want to say that I am a little happier today with respect to the major issue we have been fighting for the last three months. There is a lot more light coming through the tunnel…but we need to stay the course.”

He cautioned the country not to get weary.

Rowley said by September, the country will be in a much better position than it is now, and the Government will be able to make decisions then that it cannot think about making now.

He recalled when he became chair of Caricom in January there was a public statement on the unavailability of vaccines. Three months later, he said, the discussion of vaccines was again raised at a Caribbean level but there were no vaccines available to the Caribbean and other smaller countries altogether.

“While vaccination was going at apace in some countries, we had sporadic drops in the ocean only from gifts made available to us by the beginning of April. Countries received small gifts from other generous countries, and we had our first Covax shipment in March, which was way below what we were expecting.”

He said for months he had been working “night and day” to get vaccines and received some responses that did not affect the acquisition in any significant way.

But he added that despite this, he could report that TT is now in a much better position because of the increased availability of vaccines through increased World Health Organization (WHO)-approved vaccines coming on board.

Rowley said the Government made “two substantial payments” for vaccines that will “allow us to have a continuous supply to bolster and accelerate our vaccination programme.” With the payments made, he expects that in the next six-eight weeks there will be a flow of vaccines to “keep us busy” in the accelerated programme.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said in preparation for this, the administration of the second dose of AstraZeneca vaccines to some 60,000 people will be ramped up. He hopes this could be done in 12 days beginning on June 7. Previous appointments for these doses will be scrapped, he said, and the recipients will receive phone calls with new dates and venues.

The Prime Minister warned that the “best” vaccine is the one available.

“The way out of where we are at is to have as many people vaccinated as possible. What we are aiming to do now, as we can confirm and have vaccines in our hands, we will want to get into arms as quickly as possible.”

Asked how much was paid for the vaccines, Rowley said he was not sure, but Finance Minister Colm Imbert will give an account.

He did not say how many were ordered or which brands of vaccine have been bought. Rowley said there was no one brand that was purchased as they bought from a consortium. He did specify that some – he did not disclose how much – was Sinopharm from China.

Earlier this month, at a media conference, Imbert said TT will be buying Sinopharm vaccines out of a $1.4 billion loan it received from China. He added then that some 1.5 million doses were ordered.

Rowley thanked the Government and Prime Minister of Grenada for a donation of 10,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines that should arrive on Sunday. The vaccines are set to expire at the end of June. He said if the need arises, TT will reciprocate.

Rowley, who tested positive for covid19 on April 5, said he will take his first dose of the vaccine as soon as he is cleared by his doctors.

“I will love to be covered by vaccines. I am not making any joke about this. I am hardly out there because I don’t want to be in a situation unvaccinated where, if I was vaccinated, I would have given myself a better chance of surviving. I want to survive. As soon as it is clear for me to be vaccinated, I will be vaccinated."

Vaccines received by TT

*In February Barbados donated 2,000 doses of AstraZeneca.

*On March 30, the first tranche of 33,600 AstraZeneca vaccines from the Covax facility arrived.

* April 13, 40,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines were received from an donation by India.

* On May 10, the second tranche of 33,600 AstraZeneca vaccines were received.

* On May 19, TT received a donation of 100,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines from China.

* On May 20, it was announced that St Vincent and the Grenadines donated 16,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to TT and another 9,000 doses were donated by Bermuda.

*On Saturday, the Prime Minister said Grenada donated 10,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines scheduled to arrive on Sunday.