By Prior Beharry
TRINIDAD and Tobago will receive another 33,600 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines from the COVAX facility next week.
In a release on Thursday, the Ministry of Health did not state the exact date, but only that it will receive this second tranche during the week ending May 14.
The release stated, “This second delivery of vaccines from the COVAX facility and the remaining doses of vaccines donated by the Government of India will now be held to guarantee the second dose of the AstraZenca vaccine for those who received the first dose.
“This is based on World Health Organization guidelines which advises that two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are required,” the ministry stated.
The release stated that as May 5, 2021, 55,895 persons have received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The current target is 60,000 persons, the ministry stated.
The release stated, “All of these persons will receive their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine at the appropriate time.”
The ministry stated that it will be winding down this stage of first dose vaccines.
Thus far the country has received 2,000 vaccines as a gift from Barbados, 33,600 from AstraZeneca in a first tranche and 40,000 from the Serum Institute of India.
The ministry was initially using half of the vaccines for second doses but Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley changed the policy to administer vaccines to as many people and wait for the second trance from COVAX for second jabs.
Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said there was between a 10% to 15% overage in the vials of vaccines received.
