By Prior Beharry
A document purporting to give permission to a US State Department official to bring in 80 vials of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines in Trinidad and Tobago is being circulated on social media.
The document on a State Department Bureau of Medical Services letterhead signed by medical officer Stephanie Marchant gives permission to a State Department travelling officer Heather Marie Mulroney. It has no date.
This issue was raised by activist and head of the Citizens Union of Trinidad and Tobago (CUTT) Phillip Edward Alexander on a video blog on Sunday.
The letter stated that Mulroney was travelling from New York to Port-of-Spain and was authorised to carry:
- 80 vials of Pfizer Covid Vaccine;
- 400, 1 ml syringes; and
- 1100 vials vaccine diluent.
In his blog, Alexander said he has sent the letter to Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith.
AZPNews.com contacted the US Embassy in Port-of-Spain and the Public Affairs Section stated that it will provide us with a comment tomorrow.
The letter surfaces after south businessman Clint Arjoon claimed that Pfizer vaccines were in the country without knowledge of the Ministry of Health.
AZPNews.com has also sent an email to the Ministry of Health for a comment on the letter.
Alexander said, “This here is information and evidence that Pfizer and other vaccines are being brought into the country.”
He claimed that there was no official documentation from T&T to bring in the vaccines and therefore it was red flagged by Customs and Excise.
Alexander said the shipment was seized by Customs and Defence Force took possession of the items.
He said if this was for the US Embassy in T&T it would have come through the diplomatic pouch.
AZPNews.com has also contacted Griffith for a comment.
The Ministry of Health vaccination programme to date only has AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines.
