Expect vaccine here by ‘March’

Barbados could be in line to receive its first batch of the coronavirus vaccine as early as March next year, along with other countries in the region, a top immunisation official has predicted while urging the region to be patient.

The assessment came Friday from Peter Figueroa, who chairs the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group.

But while saying that he did not believe the vaccine should be mandatory, Figueroa – who said he intends to get innoculated against COVID-19 – expressed concern that developing countries such as in the Caribbean could be left out in the cold when it came to access to enough quantities of the highly-sought-after vaccine.

“No one must be left behind. But it’s worth looking at some of the lessons from the past because even when effective tools have been available, too often some are protected and others are left out. This is just not acceptable,” he said, while recalling that there were little flu vaccines available in middle-income countries during the 2009 influenza outbreak, when compared to high availability in more developed countries.

Figueroa, who was part of a panel during a University of the West Indies Vice-Chancellor’s Forum on COVID-19 Vaccination, delivered a presentation on COVID-19 Vaccine Access and Equity.

While it is estimated that some 7.5 billion doses should be available by 2021, orders for about 7.4 billion doses have already been ordered by countries through bilateral agreements.

So far, Britain, the US, Canada and a number of other rich nations that have been furnished with the COVID-19 vaccine have started to immunize sections of their population.

Countries and regions that have secured a million or more vaccine doses include the European Union, the US, the World Health Organisation’s COVAX facility, Canada, UK, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Indonesia, Mexico and India.

Figueroa estimated that Barbados and other countries in the region will have to wait until the first quarter of next year to get a “small supply” initially.

“Our best estimate is that a small supply of vaccine will be available perhaps towards the end of the first quarter – March or April next year – but that will be just a small supply, and then maybe another small amount by the middle of the year and up to 20 per cent by the end of 2021,” said the PAHO official.

“When can we expect some vaccine? Low and middle-income countries are unlikely to get vaccine before March or April and it will be very little initially… so we just have to be patient. It is coming,” he stressed.

It is expected that the vaccine being secured by Barbados and other regional states through the WHO COVAX Facility will only be enough for up to 20 per cent of their population.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Mia Mottley revealed that Barbados was in the process of exploring possibilities of obtaining vaccines from China, Russia and India.

Figueroa suggested that the region accept that “we are going to have to live with COVID for the foreseeable future, especially over the next year” and continue to practice safety measures currently in place”.

He added: “Vaccines are not a silver bullet. We still need to have the pharmaceutical measures – the masks, the hand hygiene, the physical distancing and avoiding crowds, especially indoors. We are going to have to get better rapid point of care tests and hopefully we will get a saliva test. Dogs can be trained to identify persons with COVID-19, we need to do this.

“There are apps that can help us inform individuals when they are exposed, we need to get these apps. We have a lot to learn more about COVID-19 but prepare for more change, the situation is dynamic, and I suggest you take the vaccine when you get the chance. I certainly will.”

But he said he believe residents should still have the option to choose whether they will take the vaccine.

“I don’t think the vaccine should be made mandatory, certainly not,” the immunisation chief said. “At this stage, it is very important that we have leaders of governments, other leaders, as well as doctors and nurses willing to step forward and take the vaccine first in any given country,” he said, adding that it was natural for people to have reservations and questions.
(marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb)