Trinidad and Tobago donates 10,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Caricom neighbours

Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne.
Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne.

FOREIGN and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne said homes have been found for 10,000 excess AstraZeneca covid19 vaccine doses which are close to expiry.

In a response to Newsday, Browne said at least three countries have accepted donations thus far.

“I am pleased to report that thus far we have shared 2,500 doses of AstraZeneca with The Bahamas, 3,000 doses with St Kitts & Nevis, and 4,500 doses with Dominica.

"Additionally, we are in the final stages of arranging other consignments for elsewhere in the region in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).”

Browne said Trinidad and Tobago has benefited from the generosity of its neighbours and other nations during a phase of the pandemic when there were extreme challenges in acquiring WHO-approved vaccines.

“The Prime Minister's commitment at that time was that we in turn would do everything possible to share with others, contingent on stocks at hand.

"The Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs has been working very closely with the Ministry of Heath, and we approached countries in the Caribbean and Latin America with offers of sharing AstraZeneca vaccines with them.

"A series of diplomatic notes were exchanged, and there has been extensive bilateral dialogue all with the objective of avoiding any wastage.”

He said the programme is being undertaken by the government in the best spirit of regional solidarity, and in principled recognition of the reality that no nation would be safe from this pandemic until all nations are safe.

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