30K people expected to receive second dose of Pfizer in coming weeks
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Bahamas could see 30 percent of its population fully vaccinated by next month, according to National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee Deputy Chair Ed Fields.
Fields told Eyewitness News another 30,000 people are expected to receive their second dose of Pfizer in the next couple of weeks.
“Of course, I don’t want to give you any false numbers, but at our last dashboard we were up to around 65,000 [to] 67,000, which includes around 4,000 people who were vaccinated abroad,” he said.
“We, as you know, did close to 30,000 or just over 30,000 in a couple of weeks with the Pfizer introduction.
“That means that we are now in the second-dose phase of Pfizer, which means we [can] add another 30,000 or so to the fully vaccinated crew.
“That means we’re getting closer and closer, and I anticipate within the next week and a half or so, especially with this Family Islands push — which is also, by the way, a second-dose administering — that we will be on the 100,000 mark in the next week or two.
“What that means, and we don’t have the denominator that’s certain, but if you figure we have a population of around 390,000 to 400,000 — you take out children under 12 and leave the eligible vaccinees — we’re climbing up to that 30 percent mark.
“I don’t want to say what it is, but we are getting up to that 30 percent mark.”
As of Sunday, 73,901 people were fully vaccinated.
A total of 184,461 doses had been administered, with 114,333 receiving one dose.
Pfizer is available to anyone over the age of 12, though the vaccine manufacturer’s clinical trials have indicated a strong immune response in those ages five through 11.
Fields said while he stands to be corrected on the projected numbers, The Bahamas continues to record “very good uptake” of the vaccine.
“With the announcement of course of the US… I anticipate, and I don’t have the numbers to give you, but I anticipate that we will see more and more numbers climbing,” Fields said.
The Biden administration this week announced that all foreign travelers flying to the United States will need to demonstrate proof of vaccination before boarding, as well as proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of the flight.
The United States yesterday donated around 1,390 doses of Pfizer and 200 doses of Johnson & Johnson, a tranche earmarked for Abaco and its cays.
It was the second tranche of donations from the US, which delivered over 128,000 doses of Pfizer last month.
According to the government, more vaccine doses are expected to be rolled out on Bimini, Exuma, Eleuthera, Long Island and other communities.
