BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - LAST week, St. Kitts and Nevis had received 2,000 doses of the AstraZeneca Vaccine from Dominica that were donated by India. Since then, negative media reports have emanated about the drug which have been rubbished by India’s High Commissioner.
The circulating media reports suggest that Indians do not want the vaccine and, as a result, the Government is seeking to dispose of it by dumping same in the region and other developing countries.
Many in St. Kitts and Nevis have echoed the same belief and are indicating that they are not willing to take the vaccine donated by India.
However, during a recent interview with this publication, India’s High Commissioner to Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana and St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. K J Srunivasa, explained that those reports do not paint a true picture of what is actually transpiring in India.
The High Commissioner, who is based in Georgetown, Guyana, said that the reports are absolutely false and health officials have thus far inoculated over seven million people across the Asian nation.
“It is completely false,” Dr. Srinivasa categorically stated. “We have already finished administering 3.5 to 4 (corrected to 7) million doses. The reason is that there was a lag in the numbers. January 15 we started the vaccination and then there was a lag period because it needed motivation to get across to the people.”
Concerns were raised as India has promised to donate 500,000 doses of the vaccine to the region as part of its “vaccine diplomacy”, and a drive to provide doses free of charge to developing nations.
Currently, the Asian nation has provided over 20 million doses of the vaccine, either commercially or through donations, across the world.
“The efficacy of this vaccine, some might find it strange but I can tell you that scientifically it has been shown that if you take two full doses it will be 63 percent effective. But if you take half a dose and then take a full dose, basically one and a half dose, it is 91 percent effective,” the High Commissioner said.
India has so far donated 170,000 of its promised 500,000 to the region, with Dominica and Barbados being the first recipients.
The Dominican Government received 70,000 doses from India and has donated 5,000 to Antigua and Barbuda, 5,000 to St. Vincent and the Grenadines and 2,000 to St. Kitts and Nevis.
“So, all these things that the Indians are donating because they don’t want are completely wrong! We actually need 300 million doses by June and, trust me, we are swamped by requests. We are just trying to do the juggling act, walking a fine line because we don’t want to send away any of our partner countries; and at the same time, there is a tremendous demand. We are working to give vaccines to the countries which can respond to their frontline workers,” Dr. Srinivasa disclosed.
It was revealed that St. Kitts and Nevis should expect to receive doses within the coming weeks. However, the amount of doses to be donated to the Federation is still under discussion between the two Governments.
“Say, for example, that St. Kitts and Nevis with its population maybe around 20,000 that would be more than enough to vaccinate about 12 to 13 thousand seeing that it is 1.5 dose...I am just giving you a theoretical number,” the High Commissioner explained.
