Antigua and Barbuda: The consignment of 175,000 doses of Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine sent from India through the OECS arrived in Antigua and Barbuda on 1st March 2021 at V.C. Bird International Airport St John’s.
The vaccines which arrived in Antigua would further distribute among five Caribbean nations, including St Lucia, St Kitts, Nevis, St Vincent, Grenadines, Antigua, Barbuda, and the Republic of Suriname.
Antigua and Barbuda will get 40,000 Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines from India under Vaccine Maitri; these vaccines have been manufactured in the Serum institutes of India.
These 40,000 Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines will inoculate 80 percent of the population of the nation. Further, this will help to induce Herd Immunity in Antigua and Barbuda.
Prime Minister Of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne wrote, “Thanking PM Modi for the 500K AstraZeneca vaccines that he generously and selflessly shared with the Caribbean to assist in the fight against COVID.”
Indian High Commissioner KJ Srinivasan said, “These 40,000 vaccines for Antigua and Barbuda will meet the immediate requirements of vaccinating the front-line workers, health care workers, co-morbidities.”
He added, “The high commission of India will work to procure further vaccines on a commercial level.”
He highlighted the fact how Indian PM kept his promise of donating vaccines under Vaccine Maitri and how they have become the first respondents of the global pandemic all over the world.
Besides, In St Lucia, 25,000 doses, St Kitts and Nevis to obtain 20,000, St Vincent and the Grenadines 40,000, Antigua and Barbuda 40,000 vaccines, and the Republic of Suriname to receive 50,000 vaccines.
PM Browne added, “despite being far away in the Northern Hemisphere, India made efforts to help the countries all the way in the Western Hemisphere.
The Antiguan Prime Minister said that to obtain herd immunity, it is eminent to vaccinate 70 percent of the population. He remarked the benefits of immunizations and stated that they could reduce hospitalizations.
Ramanjot Kaur is a dedicated journalist with a Master’s in Journalism and Mass Communication, specializing in economic and political news reporting with incisive analysis and integrity.
