(By Ernesto Cooke) – Leader of the Opposition in St Vincent Dr Hon. Godwin Friday, his wife, Mrs Ave Friday, and son, Nicholas Friday, today received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield (Indian) AstraZeneca.
St Vincent and the Grenadines received a shipment of Covishield vaccine from Dominica on Thursday 11th February 2021.
The Minister of Health Hon. St. Clair ‘Jimmy’ Prince and Permanent Secretary, Mr Cuthbert Knights, received the 5000 doses.
Officials say the doses are enough for 2,500 persons.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves on Thursday said that priority would go to front-line workers in the first instance.
The government of India will provide SVG with about 40,000 doses of Covishield vaccine.
Last week Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves and wife Elosie Gonsalves took their first dose of the Sputnix V vaccine.
On Friday 12th February 2021, The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund) announced the Russian Sputnik V vaccine’s approval against coronavirus in Saint Vincent.
In total, 26 countries have already authorized Sputnik V.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is the first island nation of the Caribbean to register Sputnik V.
The vaccine was approved in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines under the emergency use authorization procedure without additional local clinical trials.
Sputnik V is one of the world’s top three coronavirus vaccines regarding the number of approvals issued by government regulators.
