CARICOM Heads to redouble efforts for adequate COVID vaccines

CARICOM Heads of Government have agreed to redouble their efforts to acquire adequate supplies of COVID-19 vaccines.

According to the Communique on Tuesday from the 42nd regular meeting of heads held virtually from July 5-6, the most critical issues were deemed to be the continuing need for equitable access to vaccines and how to treat with the emerging COVID variants.

Based on the discussion of a report from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Heads voiced their determination for the Region to achieve herd immunity of 80 per cent coverage before the end of 2021. To this end they agreed to redouble their efforts to acquire adequate supplies of vaccines.

Heads, the communique said, expressed appreciation to the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Keith Rowley; CARPHA; and the CARICOM Secretariat for the work undertaken to acquire vaccines.

Heads also voiced appreciation to the Governments of Third States, Regional Organisations and the community of International Development Partners (IDPs) for their financial aid and donations of vaccines to CARICOM.

Heads also thanked the United States of America for its offer of vaccines and looked forward to a speedy end to the negotiations for their delivery.

The leaders agreed that equity of access to COVID-19 vaccines is still of the greatest importance to CARICOM Member States and as such efforts to achieve same should be pursued with PAHO/WHO, Third States, and the Facilitation Council for the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator to address this matter.

The communique said that Heads mandated the CARICOM Secretariat to continue to collaborate with CARPHA, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), regional nursing, medical and allied health professional bodies and institutions, to devise strategies and policy guidelines to address vaccine hesitancy, using an evidencebased approach.

“Heads of Government urged that employees co-operate with employers to ensure a safe working environment either through vaccination or regular testing.

“Heads of Government emphasised the importance of citizens being inoculated so that Member States could achieve herd immunity, recognising that no one is safe until everyone is safe”, the communique added.

The Heads also mandated the CARICOM Secretariat to mobilize resources to support initiatives to address vaccine hesitancy at the regional and national levels.