Bahamas could receive tranche of US-donated Pfizer doses this week
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Bahamas is seeking to borrow 20,000 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from a neighboring Caribbean country, according to Minister of Health Renward Wells.
Wells said countries in the region received the green light from the World Health Organization (WHO) to transfer vaccines as and where the need arises in the Caribbean.
The government recently borrowed 5,000 doses from Antigua and Barbuda.
Eyewitness News understands the additional 20,000 doses will come from St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The minister was unable to say how soon the additional 20,000 doses could arrive in The Bahamas.
“We have 87,000 doses. We have since vaccinated in excess of 90,000 persons,” Wells said outside Calvary Deliverance Church yesterday.
“We have gotten vaccines from one of our sister Caribbean countries and we’re seeking to get even more so.
“And we’re also working on seeing how we can ensure that we receive our last tranche of vaccines — the 33,600-plus doses — from the COVAX Facility, from PAHO (Pan American Health Organization).
“I believe that by the end of July, we will receive that AstraZeneca as well.”
According to Wells, the United States is also expected to donate a tranche of Pfizer vaccines sometime next week through the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).
“We have been alerted to that fact and were looking probably by the second week in July to receive Pfizer,” he said.
“That’s what’s being projected as being offered, so hopefully at that point in time, we will have a defined date when we can come back to the Bahamian people and let them know.
“And by the way, we do have the capacity in-country now to store Pfizer at the Immunization Facility.”
As of July 2, 95,992 doses of AstraZeneca had been administered in The Bahamas.
Wells said he believes more Bahamians have stepped forward to become vaccinated in part because of a global trend.
The Delta variant
Wells maintained it is not a question of if but when the Delta variant will arrive on The Bahamas’ shores.
“We do suspect, as I said from March of this year, that we believe we do have one of the five variants of concern in the country and initial testing showed that we had a variant, but we sent off samples, which [we’re] still awaiting the results,” he said.
“At the end of the day, we do know that there are at least five variants of concern — that is the UK, the South African, the Brazilian and India now has two, both the Delta variant and the other Indian variant.
“But the good news, as I have said to the Bahamian people, is this — we know that AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, the vaccines that are being deployed have been effective against all five variants of concern.
“And so, we’re just moving forward with our vaccination program.”
Asked if the presence of the Delta variant could impact the competent authority’s plans to end the state of emergency in The Bahamas next month, Wells said the government continues to assess the circumstance on the advice of healthcare professionals.
