(Antigua Observer) As the expiration date for thousands of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines fast approaches, the government is doubling up on its efforts to encourage residents to get vaccinated, with four weekly “lotteries” valued at a total $20,000.
Reports yesterday were that approximately 6,000 of the doses that were on island prior to receipt of Wednesday’s additional vaccines through COVAX, are set to expire at the end of the month. In order to avoid them going to waste, therefore, urgent measures were needed to get them into the arms of residents before June 30.
During yesterday’s post-Cabinet media briefing, Information Minister Melford Nicholas announced that amid this urgency, the Cabinet collectively decided on the lottery as an additional vaccination incentive.
He explained that everyone who has taken a first vaccine dose since the public vaccination programme began in March will be immediately eligible to participate; the only exceptions will be the immediate families of Parliamentarians.
