Barbados PM thanks India for COVID vaccine jabs

Barbados: In a letter addressed to Modi on Thursday, Mia Mottley said: I trust that you are well and safe. On the part of my Government and people, I wish to express gratitude to you, your Government, and the people of the Republic of India for its most generous donation of the Covishield vaccines.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has shown her gratitude to the Indian government and the people for the “most generous” donation of COVID-19 vaccine doses.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, Mottley said: “I trust that you are well and safe. On behalf of my Government and people, I wish to express gratitude to you, your Government, and the people of the Republic of India for its most generous donation of the Covishield vaccines (under the auspices of Oxford Astrazeneca).”

Last month, Mottley wrote to Prime Minister Modi, requesting for access to vaccines to provide immunization coverage for the island nation.

Recently, Barbados media reported that the country would be receiving 1,00,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine from India.

Barbados, which has a population of over 287,000, has recorded 1,641 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and 1,274 persons have recovered.

Mottley said that the country’s health ministry has confirmed that the Covishield vaccine has been approved for use in Barbados and will be administered following the manufacturers’ guidelines.

“The Minister of Health and Wellness and the Chief Medical Officer both have confirmed that the vaccine has been approved for use in Barbados and will be administered in accordance with the manufacturers’ guidelines. Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration,” the letter read.

The first supply of 50,000 vaccines, comprising 100,000 doses, from India will be targeted towards frontline workers, police and security forces, essential services, hotel workers, supermarket employees as well as the elderly, Loop Cayman reported on Wednesday. 

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