China’s gift of 100,000 Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines landed in the country in the early hours of Wednesday morning, paving the way for government to begin another phase of its vaccination program.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh was on hand to collect the vaccines which landed at the Piarco International’s Airport shortly after 1am.

The  Sinopharm vaccines, which received emergency approval from the World Health Organization one week ago, is T&T’s fifth shipment of vaccines. 

The first set of vaccines arrived in the country in February, as the Mia Mottley administration in Barbados donated 2,000 Astra Zeneca vaccines to Trinidad and Tobago, out of the 100,000 it received courtesy India.

The second shipment, 33,600 Astra Zeneca vaccines, arrived in the country at the end of March, through the Covax Facility. 

Another shipment of 40,000 vaccines gifted to T&T from the Indian government arrived in the country on April 13th, followed by another 33,600 vaccines which were shipped through Covax last week.