By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE promised single-dose Covid-19 Johnson and Johnson vaccine is expected to arrive in Trinidad tonight (Thursday).
In a press releaseon Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs stated that the scheduled arrival of the 108,000 World Health Organization (WHO) approved vaccines would arrive at 7pm at the Piarco International Airport.
The vaccines have been purchased from the African Medical Supplies Platform (AMSP) and is the first tranche out of an order of 800,000 made by Trinidad and Tobago through the AMSP, with further tranches to follow as additional supplies become available.
The delivery of these Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccines to Trinidad and Tobago at this time is the result of intensive dialogue and diplomacy, led by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley during his chairmanship of CARICOM with President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa,, President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo and President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, the ministry stated.
The ministry added, “These discussions, with follow-up by the CARICOM Secretariat, led to the inclusion of Trinidad and Tobago and several other CARICOM Member States on the AMSP, through which Trinidad and Tobago and the region are accessing a significant supply of COVID-19 vaccines that would otherwise not be available to us on the open market.”
The Government continues the acquisition of WHO-approved Covid-19 vaccines for the population, and the Ministry of Health will be utilising these vaccines within its national vaccine rollout, the ministry added.
