BARBADOS & DOMINICA Receive Vaccines from INDIA.

Tuesday 9th February 2021

Grantley Adams International Airport .

Watch “India’s gift of 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines arrived Barbados earlier today.” on YouTube —–

BARBADOS & DOMINICA Receive Vaccines from INDIA this evening.

OXFORD-ASTRAZENECA VACCINE ‘HIGHLY SAFE AND EFFECTIVE’
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has described the Indian-manufactured Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, also known as COVISHIELD, as a “highly safe and effective” vaccine.
During an address to the nation from Ilaro Court tonight, Prime Minister Mottley disclosed that the island had reached “a momentous moment” in its battle against the Covid-19 virus, with the receipt of COVISHIELD vaccines from the Government and people of India.
“We know that we have a highly safe and effective vaccine. These are not my
words but the words of thousands of key scientists and medical experts across the
world. It has gone through the most rigorous testing and approval protocols,” Ms.
Mottley assured, while noting that the vaccine was being administered to populations in
four continents – Europe, Asia, South America and Africa.
She continued: “I’m pleased tonight to be able to confirm that the Government
and people of Barbados took possession of nine boxes of vaccines, 100,000 doses of
vaccines for 50,000 persons, of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to aid in our battle with
COVID-19.”
The Prime Minister pointed out that the COVISHIELD vaccine was not the first
pharmaceutical product manufactured in India that Barbadians would be using.
“Indeed, many of the most common drugs and medicines used by Barbadians for a
plethora of ailments and illnesses are manufactured in India,” she noted.

In addition, Ms. Mottley stressed that India has distinguished itself as one of the
world’s most accomplished pharmaceutical manufacturers, and has served hundreds of
millions of people across the developing world and the developed world.
“Our confidence in the skill, the science and the standards of the manufacturers
in India is unshakable,” she affirmed.
Emphasising that Barbados was in a race against time with respect to variations
and mutations of the vaccine, Prime Minister Mottley explained why the COVISHIELD
vaccine was the most suitable one for Barbados.
“We believe that with all the vaccines that are out there, this is one of the most
suitable ones for Barbados and other tropical nations like our own, because the
temperatures required for storage are not as rigorous as some of the other vaccines.
“Although we are ensuring that if necessary we’re in a position to also be able to
store some of the more rigorous ones that require minus 80 degrees. This one,
however, is stored at temperatures that we are accustomed to in our country,” she
explained.
Also supporting the use of the COVISHIELD vaccine was Prime Minister of
Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, who joined via Zoom to thank the Governments of India
and Barbados for assisting with the receipt of 70,000 vaccines, received via a Regional
Security System (RSS) plane.
Sharing the latest research on the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, Mr. Skerrit
stated: “Oxford University reports that the protection provided by the first dose of the
Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine kicks in after three weeks and last right the way through to

the second dose at the three-month mark. Guided by the results of the latest studies,
this vaccine will reduce the likelihood of transmission to others.” (SFC/BGIS)