Barbados to get new Astrazeneca vaccines as old doses expire

Barbados is all set to receive an additional consignment of Astrazeneca vaccines. Dr Elizabeth Ferdinand, co-coordinator of the COVID-19 National Vaccination Program, didn't mention the source of vaccines. Still, she noted that the increased number of doses would strengthen the vaccination drive of the country.Dr Ferdinand said that AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccinations would be made available to the general population throughout the vaccination process. She went on to say that the previous batch of COVID-19 vaccines had run out and would expire on January 31, 2022. The doses were previously donated to the island by PAHO as well as the COVAX facility.

She noted that Barbados is currently offering Pfizer, Sinopharm, and Johnson & Johnson vaccinations sites or mobile centres around the island country.

The Health Ministry of Barbados has also advised that unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people should get their doses.

According to official government data related to vaccination status, around 158,775 people have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines as of February 1, 2022, while 147,277 people have had their required number of vaccines jabs and are now fully immunised.

According to the data, around 54.3 percent of the entire population is fully vaccinated, while 64.5 percent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated. In the meantime, approximately 69.5 percent of the overall population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.