Third tranche of COVAX vaccines arrives

The Bahamas received its third tranche of 33,600 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through the COVAX Facility yesterday.

The tranche was set to arrive in May but was delayed several times amid high global demand for vaccines. The delayed arrival resulted in a shortage of vaccines in the country and led the government to borrow 5,000 doses from Antigua and Barbuda and halt the administration of first doses.

During a ceremony for the arrival of the doses, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis said the government will return the borrowed doses from the tranche received yesterday.

“Starting today, now that we have more vaccines and as a part of the continued aggressive rollout of vaccines, more appointments for first and second doses will be made available on New Providence and Grand Bahama,” he said.

“Please visit vax.gov.bs to make your appointment to receive the vaccine. The administration of second doses of the vaccine continues at the Loyola Hall Vaccination Center on Gladstone Road on Thursday and Friday of this week. Starting next Monday, August 9, additional centers will be opened on New Providence.

“On Monday, the 9th of August, the Church of God of Prophecy on East Street site will be opened. This will be followed by the Baha Mar Convention Center on Tuesday the 10th of August, followed by the St. Anslem’s Church Hall on Wednesday, the 11th of August.

“By next week Wednesday, all of these sites, for a total of four vaccination centers, will be operating on New Providence to administer first and second doses of the vaccine. Walk-up appointments will be available at the Church of God of Prophecy and St. Anselm’s Church vaccination centers.”

Minnis said officials are working on a schedule to continue vaccinations on the Family Islands.

He said more information will be announced on that phase of the rollout.

“Updated information will also be provided on the current use of the AstraZeneca vaccine and more information will be forthcoming as our vaccine supplies increase,” Minnis said.

“For those waiting to make an appointment for a second dose of the vaccine, I encourage you to book your appointment as soon as possible. If you haven’t received your first dose yet, please book an appointment online or visit one of the walk-up centers as they become available.” 

Vaccination appointments that were made available yesterday were booked out. The government was expected to make additional appointments available at midnight today.

The Bahamas has received 126,296 doses of AstraZeneca – 20,000 of those doses were donated by the Indian government, 5,000 borrowed from Antigua and Barbuda, 3,496 donated from the British Overseas Territories of Montserrat and Anguilla and the remaining were secured through the COVAX Facility. 

Minister of Health Renward Wells said last month that The Bahamas is also expected to receive 57,330 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine through COVAX.

“We are hoping that we can get it by the end of the month,” Wells said.

“That’s the initial amount that’s been offered to us in the third quarter … which is July, August, September.”

The United States is also expected to donate doses of Pfizer to The Bahamas.

While he did not mention the Pfizer donation, the prime minister yesterday noted that the government is working “very closely” with CARICOM and the United States regarding the donation from the US.

“We are working hard to prepare to receive additional vaccines,” he said.

“With the help of US Embassy in Nassau, we are securing essential equipment and supplies that are necessary as we continue to rollout vaccines throughout the country. Last week, we received four ultra-cold freezers donated by the US Embassy.”

Pfizer requires ultra-cold freezers for storage. While this is still the case, in February, the US Food and Drug Administration announced that it will allow undiluted frozen vials of the Pfizer to be transported and stored at conventional temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers for up to two weeks.

Minnis continued, “Three of these freezers will be used at the Expanded Programme on Immunization Unit on New Providence. One of the freezers will be transported to Grand Bahama for use there. The embassy is also generously donating the personal protective equipment, known as PPEs, needed to safely use ultra-cold freezers.

“I thank the US Embassy for all of its logistical and other support.”

Yesterday’s arrival of doses came as The Bahamas experienced one of its worse surges since confirming its first case in March 2020.

More than 2,100 were confirmed last month.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Delon Brennen said yesterday that there is little doubt that the highly transmissible Delta variant is present in The Bahamas.

So far, The Bahamas has confirmed the presence of the Alpha variant, which originated in the United Kingdom.

Minnis said yesterday that the presence of variants globally makes it important for individuals to get vaccinated “as quickly as possible”.

“This is the most effective way to address and to slow the spread of a virus and its variants,” he said.

As of July 31, 106,898 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in The Bahamas.

Sixty-one thousand eight hundred and three people have received one dose of the vaccine and 46,793 people, including those who got it abroad, received both doses.

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