IF all goes well, Barbadians could have access to the COVID-19 vaccines as early as the first quarter of 2021.
That’s according to Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kenneth George, who explained that they have been informed by officials of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) that once the fundamentals are in place, Barbados should be able to access the vaccines by March or April. He was speaking to the media earlier this week on the sidelines of a presentation of equipment to the Ministry of Health and Wellness from PAHO.
While Dr. George welcomes the prospect of the vaccine, he is reminding Barbadians that it is “not the silver bullet” and must be used in conjunction with other measures.
“Until the vaccine is here, I encourage persons particularly over Christmas to do the things that we have indicated over and over to protect themselves, while we as a Ministry of Health do the other areas, like the small cluster in St. James as you mentioned and the other big ticket items… There is a small core team that is working diligently looking at all the logistical aspects of the vaccines and as we get more information, we will report it to you,” he told the media.
Speaking earlier during the brief ceremony during which the equipment was handed over, PAHO/WHO Representative to Barbados and Eastern Caribbean Countries, Dr. Yitades Gebre, speaking on the matter of vaccines, said they are a “global public good” and he maintained that the time to prepare for the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines is now.
“This is because we benefit if others are vaccinated. It is in all countries’ interest that the COVID-19 vaccine is made available across the world. True global recovery, including economic recovery, is not possible unless all parts of the world are able to bring transmission under control,” he stated.
He added, “On 18 December, COVAX facility announced agreements in place to access nearly two billion doses of vaccine candidates, and laid the groundwork for further doses to be secured through contributions from donors. These agreements mean that all COVAX’s 190 participating and eligible economies will be able to access doses to protect vulnerable groups in the first half of 2021. At least 1.3 billion donor-funded doses will be made available to 92 economies eligible for the Gavi COVAX AMC, targeting up to 20 per cent of the population coverage by the end of the year.”
He noted that the new deals announced recently include the signing of an advanced purchase agreement with AstraZeneca for 170 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford candidate, and a memorandum of understanding with Johnson & Johnson for 500 million doses of the Janssen candidate, which is currently being investigated. He noted that as these first doses will be limited, they will need to prioritise them for vulnerable groups such as health workers and older people.
“WHO and PAHO is also developing a global allocation framework for vaccines. At the same time, it is supporting the building of manufacturing capabilities, and buying supply ahead of time so that two billion doses can be equitably distributed by the end of 2021,” he added.
Dr. Gebre, reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, noted that it is a global crisis which has touched every person in the world and he stated the response to the COVID pandemic must be collective.
“No one is safe until everyone is safe. We need to be prepared to have vaccines be added in our global effort,” he added. (JRT)
