– CARPHA Executive Director affirms

AMID concerns over the hoarding of vaccines by larger nations across the globe, Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Dr. Joy St. John, related that several stakeholders across the region have been pooling resources to ensure that Caribbean countries would be able to procure vaccines needed to immunise their population against COVID-19.

During a virtual forum organised by the Sagicor Cavehill School of Business and Management, in Barbados, Dr. St. John highlighted that CARPHA has been supporting several member states in efforts geared at procuring vaccines. Support has also been given to boost the local capacity of countries as they prepare for the rollout of vaccines.

She acknowledged that there are some concerns over the region’s ability to secure vaccines. This has been well-ventilated by the Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Keith Rowley.

In a statement subsequent to the press conference, CARICOM said it is ‘dissatisfied’ and ‘deeply’ concerned about the inequitable access to vaccines for Small Developing States, like those of the community. CARICOM, as such, called for equitable access to vaccines in order to curb the impact of the pandemic, to protect its citizens and bolster the regional economy.

“As the virus does not discriminate, access to vaccines should not be discriminatory, with a few countries dominating the market with their resources and their volumes,” CARICOM said.

Heads of Government noted, too, that even countries with the funds to purchase, have been unable to procure and receive vaccines through commercial arrangements, given the relatively small volumes which they seek. Aside from the concerns over the accessibility of vaccines, there have been concerns over the funding needed to secure enough vaccines to cover Caribbean populations and to prepare the local health systems for the rollout of vaccines.

“The funding, I don’t think you need to worry about… the recognised funding agencies have been working with individual member states and at the CARICOM level and the various platforms have also come through with arrangements,” Dr. St. John said, however.

In the initial vaccine rollout phase, a 20 per cent coverage of the adult population in various Caribbean countries is expected. Commenting on the funds needed to facilitate this, Dr. St. John disclosed: “The money is in the process of being raised”.

She singled out the Inter-Development Bank (IDB) as one of the regional partners that has been working with individual member states and CARICOM to ensure that there is funding for vaccines. Member States of CARICOM have all signed on to the highly valued COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility, but the only vaccines received in the region to date were from India, which has donated 100,000 vaccines to Barbados and 70,000 to Dominica through bi-lateral arrangements.

Next week, some 80,000 vaccine doses are expected to be donated to Guyana from this South-Asian country. Dr. St. John also spoke highly of the “regional solidarity” through which member states have been sharing the vaccines that they have received.