Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley is among eight people who recently received a vaccine for coronavirus (COVID-19).
Mottley said Minister of Health Jeffrey Bostic, Attorney General Dale Marshall and five medical frontline workers also received the vaccine.
“My arm is a little sore but, other than that, I am in good shape,” she said.
The Prime Minister said she is due to receive the second vaccine in a few weeks, as are the others.
Additionally, Mottley said an emergency supply of vaccines for frontline workers and the most vulnerable may become available thorough the COVAX facility by the end of January.
Mottley was speaking during a live press briefing on Thursday. Minister of Health Jeffrey Bostic, Senior Medical Officer of Health Dr Anton Best and head of the Harrison Point Isolation Facillty Dr Corey Forde gave updates during the press conference. Head of the Health commuications Team Ambassador Elizabeth Thompson also participated.
The Prime Minister said Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Dr Jerome Walcott had been working “feverishly” this week to access to other vaccines.
She repeated the explanation that accessing vaccines for small states can be challenging and it was necessary to form partnerships to get the benefit of pricing, hence working with the COVAX facility.
Mottley said that Government was exploring a number of possibilities in order to provide herd immunity.
One of these options is the African Medical Supplies Platform. Mottley said she was contacted by the coordinator Wednesday after 270 million doses of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines were secured for the African continent. The vaccines were secured mainly from Pfizer, Astra-Zeneca and Johnson & Johnson. The offer was made for CARICOM to be involved.
Mottley said she made the proposal to CARICOM and they have two weeks to respond to the African group.
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