Vaccine roll out to pause on New Providence

Wed, Apr 14th 2021, 09:58 AM

COVID vaccinations on New Providence will come to a halt on Friday evening to allow officials time to reassess the rollout.

Since the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine began being administered just a few weeks ago the committee overseeing the rollout has been carefully monitoring the uptake on the those stepping forward to receive the injection.

Initially the government had just 20,000 doses of the vaccines available - a gift of the Indian government - which was later supplemented by another 32,500 doses through COVAX - the global vaccine programme.

Here in The Bahamas priority workers such as those working in the health sector were the first to be offered the vaccine and over the subsequent weeks this has been broadened to include many other sectors - including just days ago anyone over 50.

The vaccine committee believes it now needs to pause the rollout to assess the uptake of the vaccine against available supplies and how it should move forward.

Most recent public statements on the uptake of inoculations say 15,000 have taken the vaccine but this is now likely to be several thousand higher.

A key question the vaccine committee will now take - in consultation with the government - is how to manage supplies moving forward. 

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has told the country the second supply from COVAX ‘should’ be here around the end of May but there is no guarantee on this.

Officials here need to decide - given the take up they have seen over recent weeks - whether those who have stood forward to take Dose One should now be given Dose Two from the initial 52,000 doses available.

The problem is if they continue to issue ‘first doses’ to everyone who wants the vaccine, will they have supplies available once the requirement for the second inoculation comes around?

If they give them to those who have already had the first dose, the members of the public who have chosen to “wait to see what happens” will then have to wait on the government’s ability to secure further supplies of the vaccine.

Click here to read more at The Tribune

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