PAHO urges Caribbean countries to produce vaccination against COVID-19. Photo: ©Dmytro/123rf

Ramp up the vaccine production for the entire vaccine value chain without compromising quality.

This was the urgent call of the director of of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to concerned manufacturers in the Caribbean, in a bid to address the “glaring gaps” on the vaccine dissemination in the region.

In a recent report by the Jamaica Gleaner, PAHO director Dr. Carissa F. Etienne told reporters that the “expanded regional production of medical products,” which includes vaccines, could be key to fast track the administration of vaccines to the region’s citizens.

According to Etienne, only three per cent of people in Latin America and the Caribbean have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

By producing the essential medical supplies locally, the region will be able to reduce its over overdependence on imports, she said. The waiting time for the delivery of vaccines will be reduced as well.

Data showed that only less than four per cent of medical products that have been used for the COVID treatment came from the region.

“Expanding our regional capacity to manufacture strategic medical supplies – especially vaccines – is a must, both for our people and as a matter of health security,” Etienne said.

Following this, Etienne called on the region’s “building blocks” for expanded production– ”strong academic and research institutions, manufacturing capacity, regulatory systems, and an effective procurement mechanism.”

At present, few countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have well-established vaccine manufacturing facilities. These include Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, and Mexico.

“We must ramp up production for the entire vaccine value chain – from the ingredients that go into vaccines to the vials and syringes that help us deliver them – without compromising quality,” she said, adding that the region must “embrace the promise of mRNA technologies,” which are the basis of the highly effective Moderna and Pfizer vaccines but could also be used for other vaccines.

“PAHO is working closely with the World Health Organization on its COVID-19 mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub,” Etienne said.

Meanwhile, as Dominica prepares to receives its first cruise ship call on June 6, its Ministry of Tourism, International Transport and Maritime Initiatives has conducted a massive vaccination campaign in the cruise industry.

A total of 943 stakeholders in the sector including vendors, hair braiders and taxi drivers are expected to get their jabs, Dominica News Online reported.

In Haiti, authorities have approved the use of AstraZeneca vaccine following months of delays in getting shots to protect its citizens against the virus. The government had previously expressed concerns about AstraZeneca’s effects.

The reversal of the Haitian government’s decision comes as the COVID-19 cases shot up in the troubled Caribbean nation.

(Caribbean News Now)