Spain begins covid19 vaccine donations to Caribbean

THE Spanish Government has donated a total of 180,000 doses of the AstraZeneca covid19 vaccine to two Caricom countries – Jamaica and Suriname.

On April 21, Spain announced it would donate 7.5 million doses of covid19 vaccines to Latin America and the Caribbean.

In a press release, its Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said it was part of the "unequivocal commitment of the Government of Spain to universal access to the vaccine so that "no one gets left behind."

And in another press release in August, the government said it was "speeding up" the donation process.

It said, "Along this progressive line, Spain is due to donate some six million vaccines to Latin America and the Caribbean over the summer."

Thus far, the government has donated vaccines to Peru, Guatemala, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Colombia.

The vaccines are being delivered through Covax.

The Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) online covid19 vaccine delivery tracker says on Thursday, Jamaica will receive 100,800 doses and Suriname will get 79,200 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. They are scheduled to arrive at 4.50 pm in Suriname and 7.45 pm in Jamaica.

The Spanish government said, "These beneficiaries have been selected by Covax based on the epidemiological needs of the countries in the region, under the criteria of PAHO."

The government has not yet published a list of all the countries in the region expected to benefit from these donations.

But Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne told Newsday Trinidad and Tobago will not be receiving any vaccines from these donations.