The update came during a July 8, 2021, statement from Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon Carvin Malone (AL) on the COVID-19 outbreak currently facing the territory.

“It is a proven fact that vaccination works. As you may be well aware, the current doses of vaccines that we have will expire on July 31, but we have continued to administer first doses. The rate of administration is not high enough,“ Hon Malone said.

Health authorities are now hoping to heighten the pace of first dose vaccinations since another shipment of 3,040 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine has a scheduled arrival date of July 19, 2021.

Health Minister, Hon Carvin Maline said his ministry is hoping to heighten the pace of first dose vaccinations since another shipment of the 3,040 UK supplies does of the vaccine has a scheduled arrival day of July 19, 2021.

Follow-up vaccine shipment secured

The Health Minister indicated that the July batch will expire sometime in August 2021 and that more vaccine shipments have been promised by the UK.

“But it will not make any sense for us to continue to get these doses if we do not use them effectively. We have to know that it’s a matter of lives and it is a matter of livelihoods. It is not a conversation anymore, this is real,” he said.

Hon Malone also indicated that the UK has also already committed to providing 15,000 home kits for monitoring COVID-19.

“Public Health England, with the UK’s commitment, has afforded us forthcoming assistance. We will find ways in which those persons who are requiring Pfizer and Moderna vaccines could possibly have access to them if this is your only hold up from vaccination,” he said.