Vaccines From US Expected Soon

Jamaica and other Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Caribbean member states are expected to begin receiving shipments of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines soon, donated by the United States (US) government.

PAHO Assistant Director, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr., says the entity is collaborating with the US administration and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to facilitate the deployment of three million vaccine doses earmarked for the region.

This provision is in addition to 12 million doses that were shipped within recent weeks to Latin American member countries, among them Bolivia, El Salvador and Honduras.

Speaking during PAHO’s COVID-19 digital briefing on Wednesday (July 15), Dr. Barbosa also advised that PAHO, through its Revolving Fund platform, is in the process of finalising negotiations with producers that will provide another source of vaccines to complement those being acquired by regional countries via the World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility and bilateral agreements.

He said these acquisitions are expected to better position countries to achieve COVID-19 immunisation coverage and control transmission.

Meanwhile, PAHO Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne, said donations of vaccines by the US and Canada, among others, “are bringing hope to countries that would otherwise have to wait for months to secure even a fraction of these doses”.

She pointed out that as highly resourced countries brokering deals with manufacturers pull further ahead with their inoculation programmes, “vaccination coverage continues to linger in the single digits for much of our region”.

The Director cited, as examples, Chile and Uruguay, which she said have fully vaccinated nearly 58 and 55 per cent of its populations, respectively, against COVID-19.

She further said that nearly half of the US’ population has been vaccinated, adding that “Canada isn’t far behind”.

Dr. Etienne pointed out, however, that countries, like Paraguay, have vaccinated less than three per cent of their population, while member states, such as Guatemala, “have yet to protect even one per cent”./

“That is why we continue to urge countries with [excess supplies of] vaccines to share them with our region,” she emphasised.

Dr. Etienne said in light of the global shortage, the donation of vaccines “remains the only way for many countries  in our region to secure the doses that they need, quickly”.

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, on Tuesday (July 13), said the Government anticipates that Jamaica will have an adequate supply of vaccines by August to commence widespread vaccinations.

“We have secured supplies… we have secured contractual purchases and we should benefit from what was announced at the [recent] Group of 7 [meeting] and other initiatives from other bilateral partners,” he indicated.

Speaking on American TV network, WNYW-Fox 5’s morning programme, ‘Good Day New York’, with host Rosanna Scotto, Mr. Holness said based on data, “I would say close to 10 per cent of the population would have received at least one dose of the vaccine [while] four per cent would be totally vaccinated with two doses.”

Nearly 74 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1.4 million deaths have, to date, been recorded in the region of the Americas.