Minister of Health and Wellness, Ian Gooding-Edghill, (second left) receives the donation of 14,400 doses of paediatric Pfizer vaccines from British High Commissioner to Barbados, His Excellency Scott Furssedonn-Wood (first left). Looking on are, from left, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Sonia Browne; Chief Medical Officer, Dr. The Most Honourable Kenneth George and Permanent Secretary, Janet Phillips.
Author: Melissa Rollock/BGIS
The Government of the United Kingdom (UK) has gifted Barbados with 14,400 doses of the paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages five to 11.
Minister of Health and Wellness, Ian Gooding-Edghill; Minister of State in the Ministry, Dr. Sonia Browne; Chief Medical Officer, Dr. The Most Honourable Kenneth George and other representatives from the Ministry were present at the Grantley Adams International Airport, when the vaccines arrived on a Virgin Atlantic flight, last evening.
British High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, His Excellency, Scott Furssedonn-Wood, officially handed over the vaccines to the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
Mr. Gooding-Edghill expressed his gratitude to the UK on behalf of the Ministry and the people of Barbados, stating that the donation would go a long way in advancing the country’s fight against COVID-19. He added that the vaccines would be administered within communities once training of nurses and other health care professionals was completed.
“Your Excellency, I would like to thank you and your government for assisting us so graciously with 14,400 paediatric Pfizer vaccines, and we look forward to your ongoing cooperation and support as we unite and fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” he stated.
British High Commissioner Furssedonn-Wood said the donation was a symbol of the friendship between the two countries. Yesterday’s donation followed a recent gift of AstraZeneca vaccines to Barbados by Britain.
“As you said, Minister, we’re bringing these 14,400 doses of the paediatric Pfizer vaccine to support you as you begin that next phase of your response, that next phase of your vaccination programme – rolling out the vaccines to school-aged children. I firmly believe that the vaccination programme, that next stage, will further strengthen your resilience as we move into this stage of learning to live with this pandemic in new ways.
“I’ve got every confidence that will work brilliantly for you here as everything else has that you’ve done under the leadership of Prime Minister Mottley over these past few years. But again, I just wanted to say from the perspective of your friends and partners in the United Kingdom, we’ve been proud to stand with you through this struggle, and we’ll continue to stand with you as we face whatever lies ahead, but hopefully this [donation] will make a difference,” he said.
Source: https://gisbarbados.gov.bb/blog/barbados-receives-pfizer-covid-19-vaccines-for-children/
