PORT OF SPAIN: 11TH AUGUST 2021
The Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs welcomes the scheduled arrival of 305,370 doses of WHO-approved Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines from the Government of the United States of America. The vaccines are due to arrive at the Piarco International Airport at 8:15am on Thursday 12th August 2021. This arrival marks the largest consignment of donated vaccines to arrive in Trinidad and Tobago since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The particulars of this generous donation from the US Government are the result of sustained dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiations involving the Government of the United States of America, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, other CARICOM Member States, the CARICOM Secretariat, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), and Pfizer. Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley, in his capacity as the then Chairman of CARICOM, initiated and lead this effort to secure vaccines on behalf of Trinidad and Tobago and CARICOM.
Minister Browne expressed the heartfelt appreciation of the Government and People of Trinidad and Tobago to the Government and People of the United States of America. Minister Browne noted the critical roles played by Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Dr. Keith Rowley, the President of the United States of America Joseph Biden, the Secretary General of CARICOM Ambassador Irwin LaRoque, the Executive Director of CARPHA Dr. Joy St. John, the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Port of Spain Shante Moore, and Ambassador Anthony Phillips-Spencer and other members of the Trinidad and Tobago team in Washington, D.C.
The Government of Trinidad and Tobago specially acknowledges the advocacy mobilised by the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Members of Congress James Clyburn, Maxine Waters, Bennie Thompson, and Gregory Meeks in facilitating this donation of vaccines from the US Government to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Government of Trinidad and Tobago continues the acquisition of WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines for the population, and the Ministry of Health will be utilizing these vaccines within its national vaccine rollout.
