March 31, 2021

Government Sets ‘1,000 A Day’ Target In Vaccine Rollout Plan

By Newsroom

The Health Ministry is looking at administering 1,000 doses of the Astra-Zeneca vaccine daily, once the vaccination program begins next Tuesday.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh says this will allow 16,000 people to vaccinated within a two and a half week period.

He was speaking at Wednesday’s Covid-19 briefing, a day after the shipment of 33,600 Astra-Zeneca vaccines arrived in the country last evening, from the Covax Facility.

“The vaccine is due to expire on May 31, which from today’s date gives us approximately two months or eight weeks from the start of use to the end of use for the second phase. Initially, the manufacturer had said 21 to 28 days for the second dose, which we can achieve with this particular dose. However, the new WHO recommendation is 8 to 12 weeks. What we will be doing is using the first half of the 33,000 doses and determining if and when we are getting that second supply. We will make a decision then if to use this 16,000 and hold for the second dose or go ahead and use all 33,000 for our first dose and give the second dose when the other tranche of AstraZeneca comes in,” he explained.

Tuesday’s shipment is the first batch out of a total of 100,800 expected from the Covax facility.

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