The U.S. Government is preparing to donate its second tranche of Pfizer vaccine doses to Antigua and Barbuda and Barbados early next month. The White House notified CARICOM earlier this week that approximately 550,000 vaccine doses would be ready to ship in November to CARICOM countries. Antigua and Barbuda is scheduled to receive its second shipment of 23,400 vaccine doses. Barbados is scheduled to receive its second shipment of 70,200 vaccine doses. The first donations by the U.S. Government arrived August 12 and 13, respectively.
“We were encouraged by the positive response in the region to the availability of the cutting-edge Pfizer vaccine,” said U.S. Ambassador Linda Taglialatela. “This announcement of the upcoming second tranche of donated doses reflects the continued commitment by the United States to increase vaccine supply and access to the Caribbean completely free of charge and with no strings attached.”
All the vaccines that the U.S. Government donates are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Pfizer vaccine is the only vaccine approved for use in children as young as 12 years old and is undergoing an approval process for use in children as young as five. These are the same vaccines that all Americans can receive and are the same doses the United States is sharing globally. Scientific teams and legal and regulatory authorities from the United States and the region have worked together to ensure the delivery of safe and effective vaccines.