More than 70 000 doses of the Pfizer coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine arrived in Barbados this morning, courtesy of the United States government.
The yellow and red DHL aeroplane touched down at Grantley Adams International Airport around 10:15 a.m. and within a half hour, the vaccines were unloaded and met by the local and United States delegations.
Acting Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw said Barbados had still not reached its vaccination goals, with only about a third of the population fully vaccinated.
She said the additional vaccines would be vital, especially as they gave people another option.
Bradshaw said there is a shorter time frame for being vaccinated with a Pfizer jab as the time between the administration of the first and second dose is about four weeks.
The Acting Prime Minister said despite the vaccine hesitancy that is being widely discussed, people have still been calling to make appointments for COVID-19 jabs.
Bradshaw said while the new vaccines were proven to be safe for use on children 12 years and up, Government would first be holding widespread consultations, especially with parents.
Minister of Health Jeffrey Bostic said Barbados had the storage capabilities for the new vaccines, as they operate at a different temperature than the ones already used here.
He admitted, however, that he did not yet know about their shelf life. (CA)
