NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Bahamas yesterday received 3,496 doses of the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine as the result of a donation from the British Overseas Territories of Montserrat and Anguilla, with the assistance of United Kingdom High Commissioner Sarah Dickson.
“The vaccines are a welcome addition to our current vaccine supplies and will be used to continue the administration of second doses. We express our deep appreciation to the governments and people of Montserrat and Anguilla and the United Kingdom for this much-needed support,” said Dr. Merceline Dahl-Regis, chair of the National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee and special health advisor to the prime minister, who received the vaccines on Wednesday, July 21, 2021 at Jet Nassau FBO at the Lynden Pindling International Airport.
Dahl-Regis also thanked the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for helping to coordinate the effort.
The additional supply arrived just in the nick of time as the nation faced concerns of dwindling resources.
Last week, the committee restricted vaccine appointments to second doses only, and on Monday, that was further restricted to no new appointments for the remainder of the week at all.
At the time, however, committee Co-chair Ed Fields told Eyewitness News he expected appointment slots for next week to open by the end of this week.
Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, meanwhile, indicated the government is considering making arrangements with cruise lines for unvaccinated Bahamians to be carried to the United States to receive inoculation there as the country awaits further doses of AstraZeneca and its first tranche of Pfizer.
