(Trinidad Guardian) The AstraZeneca vaccines for T&T from the COVAX facility are being manufactured in South Korea and are still on track despite a recent raid on an Italian warehouse where AstraZeneca vaccines were housed.
This was confirmed in Parliament by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh on Friday. He gave the assurance when asked by UNC MP Saddam Hosein about the recent raid of an AstraZeneca vaccine facility in Italy and whether this would delay the shipment of vaccines to T&T through the COVAX facility. The vaccines in Italy were earmarked for lower and middle-income countries through COVAX also.
Deyalsingh said, “I’m sorry to disappoint my friends opposite (UNC).”
He said he, as well as the Prime Minister, Chief Medical Officer and PAHO had said several times that the vaccines T&T’s getting from COVAX in the first instance are manufactured at an AstraZeneca plant in South Korea. He said that was still on track.
On Hosein’s other queries, Deyalsingh said Government has no information—at this point in time—that future shipments of the remaining 77,000 vaccines for T&T might be delayed.”
He said, “The other 77,000 doses, according to COVAX and PAHO, are on stream at this time to be delivered by May… we don’t have an exact date but COVAX and PAHO have committed to supplying us by the end of May.”
On Thursday, PAHO confirmed that T&T first batch of vaccines through the COVAX facility is scheduled to arrive on March 31.