The country’s stock of vaccines will increase by 213,500 this week with more donations from Caricom countries and the first shipment of purchased vaccines from China.

On Friday, the Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard posted on Facebook that it transported 8,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from Grenada and 5,500 from St Vincent and the Grenadines. Both Grenada and St Vincent previously donated 10,000 and 16,000 AstraZeneca doses because people on those islands were hesitant to take that vaccine.

In another post,China's ambassador to TT Fang Qiu said 200,000 Sinopharm vaccines purchased by the government is “on the way” to the country.

“This is gonna be the first delivered batch procured covid19 vaccines among all kinds in the Caribbean. A big plus to the mass vaccination drive. China continues to stand together with TT against the pandemic.” That shipment was expected last Thursday.

[caption id="attachment_894843" align="alignnone" width="683"] Members of the TT Air Guard unloading AstraZeneca vaccines donated to TT by Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines at the Piarco International Airport on Friday.[/caption]

Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne told the Senate on Friday that the shipment from China was now expected "early next week."

The additional vaccines come after come chaos in the past week’s vaccine rollout with the ministry allowing people to visit facilities without an appointment. This led to long lines and large crowds at vaccine sites, as well as many people being turned away because they were ineligible or there were limited vaccines.

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