by Anna-Lisa Paul
Trinidad and Tobago (T&T Guardian) – T&T will know within the next two days just when and how much COVID-19 vaccines it will receive via the COVAX facility.
According to Chief Medical Officer, Dr Roshan Parasram – the number of two-dose Astrazeneca vaccines will vary between 108,000 and 117,000.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is set to publish its global rollout plan soon, which will give T&T a better indication of when the vaccines will be available.
“Final information on the first round allocations, covering the majority of Facility participants, is expected to be communicated in the coming days,” the WHO assured in a news release issued yesterday.
Speaking during the Ministry of Health’s briefing yesterday, Parasram said the number they’re expecting represented a “portion of the first 20 per cent” which is scheduled to be delivered during 2021.
T&T has put in an order through the COVAX facility, for 923,340 doses, which is to be delivered in tranches.
Last month, the Government said it was expecting the first set of doses in March, estimated to be around 100,000.
The COVAX delivery dates, however, will only be known when the rollout plan is announced and is dependent on country readiness.
The WHO statement said: “In order for doses to be delivered to Facility participants via this first allocation round, several critical pieces must be in place, including confirmation of national regulatory authorisation criteria related to the vaccines delivered, indemnification agreements, national vaccination plans from AMC participants, as well as other logistical factors such as export and import licenses.”
It added: “As participants fulfil the above criteria and finalise readiness preparations, COVAX will issue purchase orders to the manufacturer and ship and deliver doses via an iterative process. This means deliveries for this first round of allocation will take place on a rolling basis and in tranches.”
Parasram has said that a similar-type agreement with the African Medical Council will see T&T receiving a further 226,000 COVID-19 vaccines as they become available.
