CMO: Plans in place for 2nd AstraZeneca covid19 shots

Regional health authorities (RHAs) are scheduling appointments for people to get their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine ahead of their original appointments.

The Ministry of Health has almost reached its target of just over 72,000 people to get their first dose of AstraZeneca. Up to Tuesday afternoon, 69,527 people had received it.

Speaking at the ministry’s virtual press conference on Wednesday, Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram said no matter the methods the RHAs decide to use, people would be informed when and where to go to get their second shot.

He noted that the South West RHA was using one location, and had issued appointment dates that correspond with the dates the first shot was received. Other RHAs have been calling people to let them know when and where they could go for their second shot.

“Our initial time would have been closer to the 12-week time, some between ten and 12 weeks. So we’re trying to bring that forward as quickly as we can towards eight weeks to get a larger number of people vaccinated, so you go with the new dates that are given to you.

"And just to be assured, regardless of the type of communication that the RHAs are using, all of those people who would have had their first dose will be contacted either way, and they will get their second dose with the AstraZeneca vaccine.”

TT received about 67,200 doses of AstraZeneca from the Covax facility, 2,000 from Barbados, 40,000 from India, 16,000 from St Vincent and the Grenadines, 9,000 from Bermuda, and 10,000 from Grenada for a total of approximately 144,200.

China also gave TT 100,000 doses of Sinopharm.

On Saturday, at a press conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, the Prime Minister said by September the country would be in a “much better position” with regard to vaccines.

He said the government had made “two substantial payments” for vaccines which would boost and accelerate TT’s vaccination programme. While giving no details as to the cost or the brands of vaccines, he said there would be Sinopharm in the “basket.”

He therefore said the ministry would use the entire batch of 100,000 Sinopharm vaccines as a first dose. As of Tuesday, 29,032 people had had their first shot of the vaccine.