Second Batch of AstraZeneca Vaccine Arrives in Country
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More than 33,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in the country today, accessed through the WHO/PAHO COVAX Facility.
Prime Minister Hubert Minnis and members of the National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee were on hand to receive the shipment of the 33,600 doses which arrived at 11 am today.
Why it matters
This is the second batch of AstraZeneca vaccine to arrive in the country. The first batch of 20,000 doses was donated by India, which saw the inoculation of over seven thousand Bahamians.
The big picture
The AstraZeneca vaccine has received its share of criticism, nationally and internationally as nearly a dozen European countries temporarily halted its use as blood clot concerns grew among a small group of people inoculated by the vaccine.
These countries have since resumed the use of the vaccine after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said its initial investigation has concluded that the vaccine is “safe and effective.”
What Minnis says today
Minnis admonished Bahamians to come forward quickly to get vaccinated when they are eligible to do so, insisting that the vaccine is the pathway to opening the economy and the creation of more jobs.
“It is dangerous to delay taking the vaccine in a global health crisis. As you wait, you can get infected by the virus. You can then end up in the hospital with permanent health issues or worst, it could kill you.
“The virus remains dangerous and is random in who it infects. Having COVID-19 can set you back for days, weeks, or many, many years.
“The only way out of the pandemic is through vaccination,” he said.
To prevent a third wave, Minnis advised Bahamians to receive the vaccination.
