6 Caribbean countries to get 208,800 doses of vaccine from COVAX today

Over 324,000 doses of Oxford Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccines are in transit to reach nine Caribbean countries. Recently, a list has been issued by PAHO that shows the vaccines are expected to arrive in some countries today while others to get in few days.

Dominica will receive 28,800 doses, St Kitts and Nevis 21,600, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 24,000, Bermuda 9600, Dominican Republic 91,200, Barbados 33,600; these respective countries will get their share of vaccines on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 evening.

The shipments are expected to arrive from 6:00 am onwards on April 6; Barbados would get it first at 6:20 am, followed by the Dominican Republic at 11:20 am , Dominica at 12:30 pm, Bermuda 6:10 pm, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9:35 pm, St Kitts and Nevis 10:25 pm.

Antigua and Barbuda will get 24,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Thursday, while Grenda, St Lucia, Costa Rica will get 91,200 doses collectively on Wednesday, April 7.

The vaccines have been shipped under WHO's COVAX mission that aims at providing sufficient vaccines to associated countries to immunize 3.3% of their entire populations. Basically, it would assist the countries in running smooth vaccine drives to protect their front-line workers.

COVAX administers doses mainly to the developing world. A total of 92 low- and middle-income nations are likely to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX mission through the COVAX Vaccines Advance Market Commitment (AMC) funding instrument.

Some Caribbean countries, including Dominica and St Kitts and Nevis, recorded less than a hundred coronavirus cases while other countries, including the Dominican Republic, St Lucia, Barbados, experienced massive destruction of people and the economy due to the pandemic.

The region completely relies on WHO, PAHO and big countries like China and India for COVID-19 vaccine support. India started delivering AstraZeneca vaccine doses to the region in February 2021, while China also gave their homemade Sinopharm vaccine to a few countries.