Beware: Markets selling fake COVID-19 vaccines in Caribbean

Public health officials warned Barbados and other Caribbean territories to beware of fake vaccines in circulation.

30th of January 2021

Caribbean: Public health officials warned Barbados and other Caribbean territories to beware of fake vaccines in circulation.

These fake vaccines could adversely affect lives. Dr. Joy St John, Executive Director of the Trinidad and Tobago Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), is notifying authorities to pay stringent attention to the managerial aspects of vaccines’ bona distribution populations.

Dr. St John stated that while bogus vaccines’ marketing may be profitable for those selling them, it could have severe consequences for those who are purchasing it, mainly patients.

Highlighting her biggest solicitudes concerning the distribution of the vaccine, the senior public health executive recognized the issue of regulation.

Furthermore, she noted that The next thing is related to the regulatory perspective. She does not want bogus vaccines within the Caribbean territories. Already we comprehend that there have been struggles to disseminate fake vaccines. So she does not want anyone getting their hands on something that purports to be [favored] that is not

Markets are selling these fake vaccines for a purpose that is profit; people need to believe in their government and should have patience.

Dr. St John also discussed vaccines that have to be stored at minus 75 degrees; that is not a regular home fridge. It needs to have a specific infrastructure in place to store. It needs to have dry ice to take those kinds of vaccines around and maintain the cold chain and so on.

She emphasized having a survey on this fake vaccine she stated, “I have been observing that growing skepticism. CARPHA is going to organize a survey. We are going to have a meeting to guarantee that the research protocol has passed the ethical endorsement, and then we will inaugurate controlling to try to find out why people are skeptical.”

If we talk about vaccine status in the CARICOM community. COVAX is the facility that espouses 190 countries distributed into two parts. One set is self-paid. The other will accept the vaccine at a concessionary rate. 13 CARICOM countries are self-paid. Still, CARPHA is supporting nine of them with down payments to acquire the vaccine.

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