The United Kingdom Government has donated 14,000 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to assist in the fight against COVID-19.
The vaccines arrived in St., Vincent on Friday at the Argyle International Airport.
Political and Projects Officer of the British High Commission Seon Samuel said the UK Government is delighted to donate the vaccines to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“This marks the end of a relay of donations which started in Antigua down to Dominica and finally to St. Vincent and the Grenadines with fourteen thousand doses,” he said.
Samuel said the UK Government is committed to supporting the eastern Caribbean in its effort to tackle the pandemic.
“We are doing this because we want everyone to be safe,” he said.
Samuel pointed out that the vaccines are being shared with the eastern Caribbean as part of a much wider effort by the UK Government to help these countries tackle COVID-19.
He said the UK Government has pledged to contribute 100 million doses by June 2022 and 8 million will go to COVAX. “This is to ensure equitable global access to Covid-19 vaccines and the rest will go directly to countries in need,” Samuel said.
He noted that by the end of this year the UK will donate 30 million of the 100 million doses of vaccines pledged.
Samuel said the donations will help to make the pledge that the G7 leaders have made to vaccinate the world and end the pandemic by 2022.
Meanwhile, Manager of the Medical Stores Steve Millington expressed gratitude to the UK Government for assisting SVG in its fight against COVID-19.
Millington said: “We are at this point where we are trying to vaccinate as much people as possible and these donations will be a welcome in the armory in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.”