The United States has delivered a third shipment of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses to The Bahamas, continuing its support of the Bahamian people in the fight against the pandemic. This donation, through the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), adds to the 263,250 vaccine doses delivered to The Bahamas in 2021. U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Usha E. Pitts, Minister of Health the Honourable Dr. Michael Darville, and other health officials were on the tarmac to receive the delivery.
“[This donation] means The Bahamas will be able to continue their vaccination campaign, which is so important as we are still working through this pandemic. And we all know that if you want to get back to normal, the way to get there is through widespread vaccination,” said U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Pitts.
Minister Darville noted that about 50% of eligible Bahamians have been fully vaccinated, and that like many other CARICOM countries The Bahamas is still working to persuade hesitant people to receive the vaccine. Chargé Pitts encouraged Bahamians who still have doubts about the importance of vaccination to seek advice from someone knowledgeable who they trust, who can share facts, and who can address their concerns.
The pandemic is not over. Vaccination remains the most powerful weapon we have against this pandemic, and The Bahamas is well equipped to continue the fight.
Even as Omicron recedes across some parts of the world, we have reason to be concerned about future variants. No one country can do this alone and no country can end the pandemic at home without ending it around the world. That’s why, as recently as Monday, February 14, Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted a virtual COVID-19 Global Action Meeting to discuss the COVID-19 Global Action Plan (GAP) and rally international support around the GAP’s six lines of effort to end the pandemic. Read more about the conference at https://www.state.gov/the-covid-19-global-action-meeting/
The arrival of this third tranche of Pfizer vaccines to The Bahamas is just one part of the United States’ commitment to fighting COVID-19 across the globe. The United States has now delivered over 295,000 of the 379,000 doses the Biden Administration pledged to The Bahamas in August of last year and has donated 415 million of doses worldwide.
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