PM: Trinidad and Tobago targets 500,000 in vaccination rollout

THE Prime Minister has announced that Trinidad and Tobago has ordered 800,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine from the Africa Medical Supplies Platform and expect to receive the first shipment in August.

Dr Rowley was speaking at a media conference on Saturday at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, Port of Spain on Saturday.

He said in addition another shipment from China is expected to arrive by Thursday of over 100,000 doses of Sinopham vaccines.

The vaccines from the Africa Medical Supplies Platform are single-dose vaccines and the country's first target is to vaccinate 500,000 people.

“This is not the beginning of the end, but we can confidentially that by the next 12 weeks, depending on shipping arrangements, we would be able to vaccinate a substantial amount of people. Our first target is half a million people.”

Dr Rowley also announced plans to reopen the borders and remove the exemption requirement for people to return home. He said more details of this will be made available this week.