A bottle of the AstraZeneca vaccine is displayed in London. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lroller@tribunemedia.net
THE third batch of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX facility has been delayed until next month, Health Minister Renward Wells said Friday.
Speaking during a press conference, Mr Wells said the Bahamas will now receive the remaining 33,600 doses of the vaccines in early August.
They were expected to arrive next week.
The news comes amid low vaccine supply in the country, with only second shots being administered to Bahamians and residents at this time.
According to the health minister, 101,466 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered in the country as of July 18.
There are 41,106 people fully vaccinated against the virus, while 60,360 people have been given their first shots.
On Friday, Mr Wells said the government continues to engage in discussions with its Caribbean counterparts to shore up its vaccine supplies.
“We are in discussion with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) about additional vaccines,” he said. “This includes Johnson & Johnson vaccines from the African Medical Supplies Platform and an allocation of Pfizer vaccines from the United States to CARICOM countries, including The Bahamas. We are also expecting to receive the Pfizer vaccines allocated through the COVAX facility. All of these vaccines are expected to begin arriving in-country as early as August with subsequent shipments to be received through to the end of the year.”
However, the delay comes at a time when COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations are surging once again in the country.
Health officials also confirmed that variants of concern have been detected in the country after samples sent abroad earlier this year yielded positive test results for the Alpha and Iota variant.
On Friday, Mr Wells said it’s also possible the Delta variant could be in the country, but noted that officials have not received confirmations in that regard.
He said: “The National Reference Laboratory recently received results from 47 samples sent via PAHO to the Fiocruz Laboratory in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for genetic sequencing. Thirty-four samples collected during the period 13th March to 17th April 2021, were successfully sequenced.”
“Of these 34 sequenced samples, twenty-six were the UK variant of concern; and one was the Iota variant of interest. This sequencing data correlates with the previously performed in country PCR variant screen done at our National Reference Laboratory,” Mr Wells added. “The results confirm that the UK variant was in country and current work is ongoing to determine whether the Delta Variant is also present in our communities. Additional samples have been sent for sequencing.”
For her part, Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan said vaccinations have proven to be effective against more infectious COVID-19 variants and added that at least 70 percent of the Bahamian population needs to be vaccinated in order for the country to move on from the pandemic.
She called the delay in additional vaccination supplies “unfortunate” but expressed assurance the Bahamas will have enough doses in the country soon.
“Definitely into the third quarter of this year, we will be getting additional vaccines and options as it’s unfortunate and we certainly didn’t wish to be here but we are aggressively moving toward getting sufficient vaccines in country and we look forward to persons actually availing themselves to get them when we’re here.”
Dr McMillan also addressed vaccine hesitancy in the country, noting that even among health workers – many remain hesitant to take the jab.
She said recommendations have been put forward to consider making vaccinations mandatory for the group.
“I do not have the exact percentage, but we recognize the need for that grouping to be on board with vaccinations and in our discussions, I would say deliberations in the health EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), a recommendation would have been put forward for consideration of mandatory vaccinations of healthcare workers because of the significance of that group,” Dr McMillan said.
“Now, there are other things that must be considered because that grouping is the grouping that influence whether or not others, we recommend that you have a healthcare with your provider, so we have to work closely with the health provider grouping to understand their concerns…so that’s something we’re working on now and I’m sure we’ll be in a position to update.”
Comments
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 5 months ago
April??? thats the data they going in??? samples from April??? Its August. That data is useless. How many delta carrying tourists arrived in country between April and August?
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 5 months ago
Either find a lab that can give you results in one to two weeks or forget it. Exactly what action can you take 6 months later that would have any meaningful impact? If you can't get results then establish some other benchmark, like not listening to dumb Wells and his there's no evidence of COVID variants when ALL the signs pointed to presence of COVID variants. Decisions should have been made on common sense if the data wasnt available . We've had 757+ infections in July thats crazy and was completely avoidable. Like not telling vaccinated tourists they can enter without a test and go to parties where BAHAMIANS have to attend to them.
birdiestrachan 3 years, 5 months ago
Wells was telling LIES all along. The Bahamas does not have the vaccines to vacanite the people . they have handled this situation badly.
As the PM was telling Bahamians to be vaccinated he knew the vaccine was not available. then he came up with his cruise line fancy
All the other Caribbean countries were able to do better.
ohdrap4 3 years, 5 months ago
Next month?
THE DIET STARTS TOMORROW.
Let me go back and see how many "would haves" he said this time.
tribanon 3 years, 5 months ago
Don't forget to count the "could haves" and "should haves" too.
carltonr61 3 years, 5 months ago
Us fools were right again. In following with Australia we are back under restrictions. While the rest of the world is saving their populations from starving to death.
carltonr61 3 years, 5 months ago
Fresh hospital goes on indeffinate strike against manditory vaccination rules or be fired.
https://www.rt.com/news/530095-hospital…
UK under another protest siege today. It seems the cell phone auto Covid ping has sent most folks back home for ten day isolation including the PM. Though almost fully vaccinated half of the new surge is among them which puts to rest the global repeat narrative of the year that the pandemic is only among the unvaccinated.
CoolCatBD 3 years, 5 months ago
Has anyone being to the grocery store, and saw someone try to buy all the gals of milk, for 1$ because the expiration date is out tomorrow. Just a random thought.
tribanon 3 years, 5 months ago
Bingo!
ohdrap4 3 years, 5 months ago
That could have been me. Not with milk which is too perishable, but some stuff can be consumed for a couple of weeks after the "sell by date".
The pricing is ridiculous sometimes.
whogothere 3 years, 5 months ago
It's remarkable - vaccine shortages and they still don't want to talk about natural immunity or antibodies of those previously infected. It's like the entire medical community are sticking their fingers in the their ears and going 'lalalalalalaalala I can't hear you' when it's obviously as daylight - do an antibody study of the whole nation - prioritise communities and vulnerable demographics that haven't had infection. Stopping wasting our tax dollars and freedoms trying to vaccinate everyone in the country and focus on people that need it, because those that do will need it every 3-6 months looks like...how can you call it vaccine if when there is medicine out their you take at less frequent dosages.
ohdrap4 3 years, 5 months ago
It is said that antibody tests only work for unvaccinated pariahs, so they will not pay for that.
As my doctor said, I could be in a huge crowd and not be exposed, but a single person could give it to me in my household.
whogothere 3 years, 5 months ago
And well antibodies are free - so they don’t count plus where’s the fun/profit in that...
JokeyJack 3 years, 5 months ago
Your statement assumes that "they" want to heal people, thats why this makes no sense to you. Actions or inactions have motives. People do or dont do things for a reason 99.9% of the time.
carltonr61 3 years, 5 months ago
France passes first stage vaccine passport that gives gov power over parents to vaccinate.
https://sputniknews.com/europe/20210725…
carltonr61 3 years, 5 months ago
This is not looking good at all. Emergency use authorization does not spell approval only authorization. The Vax has not passed a single human health test for safety.
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 5 months ago
"minister, 101,466 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered in the country as of July 18.There are 41,106 people fully vaccinated against the virus, while 60,360 people have
this doesn't seen right. If 41,000 persons are fully vaccinated, that should account for 82,000 doses. And if 100,000 total doses were given only 20,000 additional have received a first shot. (No I didn't work out the pennies... just pointing out something's off with the numbers given)
ohdrap4 3 years, 5 months ago
People started counting and called the talk shows.
They spinned and said this number includes the people who got vaccinated stateside and voluntarily called them to register.
Also some vials yield an extra dose or two. Lol. Just water the pea soup when the extra cousin arrives.
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 5 months ago
Getting an extra dose from a vial wouldnt explain the math here.
They said 41,000 people were fully vaccinated. Thats an automatic 82,000 doses since each fully vaccinated person gets 2 doses.
That leaves only 20,000 possible single doses of the 100,000 total doses they said they administered. But they claim an additional 60000 were vaccinated. If 60,000 more persons got a single dose, the total doses figure should have been 140,000 or so
Do I believe something nefarious happened? Not really, just seems like they need to review their data reporting process
carltonr61 3 years, 5 months ago
Now the CDC is saying most of pcr may be just the common flu and next generation test must specify Covid. After we have all been forced vaccinated though. To avoid Minnis shutting us down I will give you the CDC memo.
https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dls/locs/2021…
whogothere 3 years, 5 months ago
Ha wow, popcorn out, what a movie...you couldn’t make it up....just like that
whogothere 3 years, 5 months ago
i mean do they think we re stupid - it’s just a coincidence that they lowered the pcr cycle threshold In Jan 2021 and simultaneously released the vaccine when flu season was in decline to make it look vaccines had an impact and then stopped testing vaccinated so it looks like only unvaccinated are carrying the virus and are they are now getting rid of the instrument they used to poop out crisis after crisis just when flu season picks up again...just so they can say the booster shots worked? Is this just a dress rehearsal for something more diabolical or political theatrics to distract from something more intricate...I mean seriously...? What was the point?
ohdrap4 3 years, 5 months ago
Rtpcr is the gold standard. Fool's gold.
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 5 months ago
That isnt what they said. They want to move to a new testing standard that provides an more efficient means of differentiating regular flu and COVID-19 strains
mandela 3 years, 5 months ago
How could these Doctors be mad at the population for not taking the vaccines when they don't even have any supply of the vaccines in the country to take in the first place, typically let's just blame the people and say it is all their fault.
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