Advertisement

Updated April 15th, 2021 at 12:04 IST

PAHO: Venezuela, Haiti reject AstraZeneca vaccines

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on Wednesday said that Haiti and Venezuela have rejected the AstraZeneca vaccines provided through the COVAX program, and in the case of Haiti, those doses could be given to another country.

| Image:self
Advertisement

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on Wednesday said that Haiti and Venezuela have rejected the AstraZeneca vaccines provided through the COVAX program, and in the case of Haiti, those doses could be given to another country.

Venezuela has said it stands by its decision to not authorize the use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine in the country.

"There isn't a specific vaccine request (from Venezuela). However, it's the vaccine (AstraZeneca) that is available the soonest possible," said Ciro Ugarte, PAHO's Director of Health Emergencies during a media briefing.

In the case of Haiti, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO's Assistant Director, said the Caribbean nation is part of the countries that would receive COVID-19 vaccines for free through the COVAX scheme.

Dr. Barbosa said they have been working with Haiti to ensure there's a vaccination plan as part of the condition to receive COVAX vaccines, but the government has informed them they would not receive the AstraZeneca vaccines.

"There's not a possibility to have an option for another vaccine in...countries that are supported (referring to countries that would receive free vaccines as part of the COVAX program)," he said. "If the country confirms that they will not receive the vaccines, what happens is that those doses that are already reserved for Haiti will be assigned to other participating countries."

He said they are currently working with Haiti to provide them with safety data as well as recommendations and recommendations from OMS, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), so Haiti can make a decision to receive the vaccines.

Haiti currently doesn't have a single vaccine to offer its more than 11 million people over a year after the pandemic began, raising concerns among health experts that the well-being of Haitians is being pushed aside as violence and political instability across the country deepen.

Haiti's lack of vaccines comes as it reports more than 12,800 cases and more than 250 deaths, numbers that experts believe are underreported.

While Venezuela has received doses of the Russian Sputnik-V COVID-19 vaccine, it has grappled with an increase in virus cases which has brought a record number of COVID-19 patients into hospitals.

The government has partially attributed the rise to a virus variant which scientists believe originated in neighboring Brazil and is more infectious.

According to recent figures from Johns Hopkins University data, Venezuela has reported more than 176,900 infections and 1,815 deaths.

 

Advertisement

Published April 15th, 2021 at 12:03 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

TMC Delgation at ECI Office
9 minutes ago
Congress Press Conference
15 minutes ago
Raw Mango
16 minutes ago
Gen Z worker goes to the salon while “working from home”
18 minutes ago
Lionel Messi
19 minutes ago
Jailed Gangster Mukhtar Ansari Passes Away
21 minutes ago
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE
24 minutes ago
Tie-dye printed shirts
29 minutes ago
Sri Lanka on High Alert on Good Friday
30 minutes ago
Gautam Gambhir gets into a fight with Virat Kohli
31 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo