The Biden Administration has delivered on its promise to provide coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines to member CARICOM states, with the first shipment of Pfizer jabs to Trinidad and Tobago being made on Thursday (August 12). 

Jamaica will be on the receiving end as well, with some 600,000 doses to be delivered in three phases—the first of which will be made next Tuesday, chairman of the National Health Fund (NHF), Howard Mitchell confirmed.

Mitchell explained further that he was unable to give an estimation as to when the other two shipments would be made to Jamaica from the United States. 

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh led a high-ranking delegation to witness the arrival of Pfizer vaccines at the Piarco International Aiport just before 8:00 am local time. 

Deyalsingh was also joined by Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Senator Amery Browne; Shante Moore, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Port of Spain, and Dr Joy St John, Executive Director for the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). 

In its first instalment of US-donated vaccines, Trinidad and Tobago received a donation of 305,370 Pfizer vaccines to bolster its response to the pandemic.

The vaccine distribution is the work of immediate past CARICOM chairman, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, who wrote to President Joe Biden earlier this year requesting a supply of vaccines for the bloc of nations. Dr Rolwey and US Vice-President Kamala Harris later concluded their first, telephone conference meeting on June 3.

Of the donation, 1.5 million doses are to be allocated to Haiti and the other four million doses will be for distribution among the 14 CARICOM countries. 

A breakdown of the sharing of vaccines among the remaining 14 CARICOM member states was not immediately disclosed.

CARICOM said the donation from the White House also includes three million ancillary kits containing needles, syringes, diluent and other supplies which have already been received.

See related article below:

• US sending 5.5 million Pfizer doses to CARICOM member states