Health authorities in Barbados on Thursday rolled out the Pfizer vaccine, a week after receiving 70,200 doses from the United States government, but indicated there would first be a short “trial run” among select groups before the vaccine is available to the general public, including children 12 years and older.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George announced the limited rollout on Wednesday night at the fourth and last of a series of town hall meetings on COVID-19 vaccination and testing.
“It’s going to be a limited rollout. We are doing some individuals like recruits from the Barbados Defence Force and other small groups as a trial run,” he said.
“Then later next week, we will proceed to the general population, with a view to shortly, once the Ministry of Education is happy and we go through a few steps, to invite younger individuals to have the vaccines that are approved in persons 12 years and older.”
He noted that those seeking to be inoculated against the contagion would be given the option to choose their preferred vaccine.
“So currently, the choices are Sinopharm, Pfizer, and once we have AstraZeneca that choice will be available to you…. You can either say any, or you choose the individual vaccine that you see fit,” he explained.
In response to a question from a member of the audience about the possibility of Barbados obtaining COVID-19 vaccines from Cuba, Dr George said authorities were open to this option.
“The answer to that question is ‘yes’. We have indicated that vaccines should be WHO (World Health Organisation) approved and SAGE (Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation Working Groups) approved.
“SAGE is a group of specialists that come together and make determinations on vaccines. They examine the evidence and they put forward a position based on their scientific themes. And once the Cuban vaccine has gone through that rigorous process, Barbados will certainly be willing to look favourably at vaccines coming out of Cuba,” the Chief Medical Officer explained.
Barbados last Friday received the first of three shipments of the Pfizer vaccine. Acting Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw said the first set of doses would allow the country to take fresh guard in its battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
CMC
