Trinidad and Tobago gets 75,000 doses of vaccine in third tranche from Pfizer

Trinidad and Tobago received 75,000 more doses of Pfizer vaccine from the United States on Thursday morning. This was said in statements issued separately by the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs and the US Embassy in Port of Spain.

The ministry said Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, Ministry of Foreign Affairs acting permanent secretary Bruce Lai, and US Chargé d’Affaires Shante Moore welcomed the arrival of the WHO-approved covid19 vaccines at the Piarco airport at 8.12 am.

"This shipment is the third tranche of Pfizer-BioNTech covid19 vaccines received from the Government of the United States of America which brings the total number of vaccines donated by the United States of America to TT to 684,570.

"The Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs thanked the Government and people of the US for this generous donation and noted the important roles played by Carpha and the US Embassy in Port of Spain in facilitating this donation of vaccines to TT."

The statement said the Ministry of Health will use these vaccines in its continued national vaccine programme.

The embassy also said the 75,000 doses took the total donation of Pfizer vaccine by the US to TT to 684,570 doses, so far.

"This donation is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to lead in the effort to vaccinate the world, having already delivered over 400 million free, safe, and effective vaccines to over 110 countries as part of a commitment to donate 1.2 billion doses worldwide with no political strings attached."

Saying about 25 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have received these vaccines, the embassy said covid19 knew no borders and the US was showing up to lead and help end the pandemic.

Moore said, “The United States continues to donate these free covid19 vaccines to the people of TT, and I am pleased to see 50 per cent of the population is now vaccinated.

"It is a significant milestone, but we have also noted the drop in the number of persons getting vaccinated, especially among the 12-18 age group. I urge everyone to get vaccinated to help end this pandemic.”

The embassy said the US government only donates vaccines approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA.)

"These are the same vaccines that all US citizens receive and are the same doses the US is sharing globally."

Last August, the US donated to TT some 305,370 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, while last December 304,200 doses.

Last month, Deyalsingh told a ministry briefing that the remaining balance of Pfizer due to TT from the US was about 286,000 doses.

He had said with TT's Pfizer stock expiring at the end of February, the Government would get a fresh donation of 150,000 doses from the US government, to be delivered in two tranches of 75,000 doses each, the first due within a month, which turned out to be Thursday. In January, Deyalsingh said TT was also seeking to acquire special paediatric doses of Pfizer vaccine for children age 5-11.