TRINIDAD and Tobago has received the gift of 40,000 AstraZeneca vaccines from India.
The shipment was delayed by 24-hours and arrived at the Piarco International Airport around 10.22 pm on Tuesday on an Amerijet plane. The vaccines were expected to arrive in Monday but were delayed due to bad weather.
Indian High Commission to Trinidad and Tobago Arun Kumar Sahu thanked both Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar after the arrival of the vaccines.
In a video post, Sahu urged the people to trust the science and get the jab.
Sahu said, “I urge all Trinbagonians to believe in science and take the vaccine if they are eligible and vaccines are available. It is our duty and responsibility to be safe and keep others safe.”
He said India and T&T share a long-friendly relationship, a similar history, culture and democratic value system and the vaccines were a reiteration of that long-standing relationship.
Sahu extended gratitude to Dr Rowley and Opposition Leader Persad-Bissessar who had written to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting vaccines.
He said, “I thank Prime Minister Honourable Dr Keith Rowley and Foreign Minister Honourable Dr Amery Browne for conveying their appreciation to Prime Minister Honourable Shri Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Hon’ble Dr S. Jaishankar.”
Watch Indian High Commission to Trinidad and Tobago Arun Kumar Sahu:
He added, “I also thank the Leader of Opposition, Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar, for her letter to Honourable Prime Minister Shri Modi. We understand and value her sentiments. The people of India are proud of her achievements and struggle. Many in India look up to her as a beacon of women empowerment.”
Speaking at the virtual media conference on Wednesday, Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh said the 40,000 vaccines from the Serum Institute of India (SII) will expire on July 18, 2021.
He said the ministry will now utilise all the 33,600 vaccines in the first shipment from COVAX to complete phase one of vaccinations in the country.
Deyalsingh said the Pan American Health Organization, (PAHO) has assured that T&T would still receive the 77,000 remaining vaccines from COVAX in May. He said this would allow the nation to continue and expand the vaccination drive into phase two.
He also added that phase two will commence on Saturday with essential workers.
Deyalsingh said local government personnel will be included in the phase two rollout.
The minister said those to be vaccinated in this phase included:
- Parliamentarians and their spouses;
- Senior public officers;
- Frontline police, fire, prisons officers
- Customs officers;
- Immigration officers; and
- Members of the Defence Force.
