"TT last in line to get COVID-19 Vaccine," says Caroni East MP

Trinidad & Tobago: Caroni East MP Rishad Seecheran said there could be no economic recovery for Trinidad and Tobago if the global COVID-19 pandemic is not brought under control.

He said the government had mismanaged the procurement of vaccines for citizens and provided that the latch's borders would be closed for another two years.

On the virtual platform of the United National Congress (UNC) on Monday night, Seecheran claimed TT had moved from the highest rank globally for the management of covid19 in 2020 to the bottom of the list in February 2021.

He said that although 77 countries had already started their vaccination program, including Barbados and Dominica, which had received additional vaccines from India and the Covax grant, TT would not yet receive the first consignment.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said TT is expected to receive about 120,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines around March.

Seecheran said only 60,000 people would be vaccinated, as each person needed two doses.

He said that for countries like Dominica and Barbados, which had the foresight to obtain additional vaccines, life would soon return to normal. Their economies would reopen in the world.

Barbados recently received 100,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India, which he promised to share with some Caricom countries, including TT.

'Here in TT, we will have to vaccinate one million of our citizens, that is to say, two million doses, before we can stop locking up. Until then, we would fall under health prescriptions because it would be reckless if the government lifted them while the (virus) was still spreading in our communities.

"We seem to be the last in line to vaccinate our population, and that's why our borders remain closed."

Asked about including other vaccine sources, Deyalsingh said the government had involved Pfizer in parliament but was under a non-disclosure agreement.

Seecheran said Pfizer's vaccines were completely sold out and questioned why the facility was not being pursued, given the strong ties between TT and India's governments.

He said TT, like Barbados, could benefit from vaccinations.

'This is the same vaccine provided to us by the Covax plant. The Oxford's vaccine (50 million doses per month) is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer for AstraZeneca. '

He said the vaccine could be safely stored at the temperature of a refrigerator.

He also questioned government statements that TT started using China as a possible vaccination source in October 2020.

'I would like to ask Dr. Rowley which of these Chinese vaccines are currently registered with the World Health Organization (WHO)?

'Both the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines are currently in phase three trials, which means that Chinese vaccines have not yet completed their mandatory tests before being certified by a foreign country for non-emergency use.

'I ask the Minister of Health: has our policy changed in the use of vaccines? Do we use vaccines that are not certified?

"We can not simply evaluate a vaccine based on a drug manufacturer's statement. More information is needed," Seecheran said.