100,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine reaches Trinidad and Tobago

Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: Over 100,000 doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine landed in Trinidad and Tobago in the early hours of Wednesday. The government announced that the administration of the doses would begin shortly. Minister of health Terrance Deyalsingh went to receive the vaccine at the airport. The vaccines have been manufactured by the China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation, commonly referred to as Sinopharm. The doses are a donation from the People's Republic of China to assist Trinidad and Tobago in handling the rising coronavirus cases.

Sinopharm vaccine is certified and has WHO's Emergency Use Listing (EUL). Minister of health Terrance Deyalsingh assured the general public of their safety.

Earlier, Trinidad and Tobago were utilizing the Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine manufactured by SK Biopharmaceuticals of South Korea and Serum Institute of India (SII).

More than 60,000 people have already received their first dose of the vaccine, and by July 2021, the government aims at inoculating more than 100,000 people.

The Sinopharm vaccine would be first administered on front-line workers, the elderly and people with comorbidities.