CMO: J&J covid19 vaccine to be more widely available

CHIEF Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Roshan Parasram announced that from Wednesday, there will be a wider distribution of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson covid19 vaccine to members of the public.

He made this announcement at the virtual health news conference on Monday.

Last month, Trinidad and Tobago received its first tranche of 108,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine from the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh previously said these doses would be going to inland and coastal villages whose residents find it difficult to access vaccination centres.

Parasram said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be available at all mass vaccination sites and health centres from Wednesday and people seeking it will not need an appointment.

He also said the Health and Education ministries are working out a strategy to increase the vaccination of 12-18-year-old students with the Pfizer vaccine and an announcement will be made in due course. The Pfizer vaccine is currently being administered to 12-18-year-olds at mass vaccination sites throughout TT.

At the commissioning of the Siparia Union Presbyterian Primary School on August 27, Education Minister Gadsby-Dolly said she was concerned about the possible emergence of a "Trinidad (covid19) variant," and about only 20 per cent of students in the 12-18 age group have been vaccinated against covid19 to date.

"I am concerned, as the health advice comes in, that we might end up with a Trinidad variant. That's what I saw as the latest thing...a Trinidad variant coming, as we know, because the pandemic is now a pandemic of the unvaccinated."

The Prime Minister shared similar concerns at a news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann's on August 28. Dr Rowley said fully vaccinated secondary school students preparing for exams will be allowed to have face-to-face classes from October 1. Several education stakeholders subsequently agreed with this position.

Parsaram also said several medical and scientific factors determine the reopening of different sectors of the economy during the covid19 pandemic. The decision to reopen those sectors, he said, ultimately rests with Rowley and the Cabinet.