Suriname will significantly increase the speed of vaccination in the near future, with an average of 1,500 vaccinations per day. This is necessary because the shelf life of 50,000 vaccines will end at the end of June, says Director of the Ministry of Health Rakesh Jagadhar Sokol.
Since the start of the vaccination campaign, about three weeks ago, more than 5,400 people have received their first vaccination on Sunday. The rate of injection was very slow in the first weeks, because there were only a thousand doses.
A 50,000 dose batch is an undisclosed gift from the Indian government. Suriname is happy with the donation, but unexpectedly had to increase the speed of vaccination earlier than planned. In about two weeks, another shipment of about 25,000 vaccines will arrive. These are vaccines that Suriname has purchased through the World Health Organization’s International COVAX Initiative.
To prevent more vaccines than it can treat at any time, authorities are now doing everything they can to encourage people to sign up for a dose. At the moment, approximately fifteen thousand people have been registered. They will be called in the near future. Priority is given to people over the age of 60 and people with underlying diseases.
The first vaccines administered to health care workers
These vaccines were primarily administered to primary care workers and other officials in critical positions.
The ministerial team and President Chan Santokhi’s wife also received the first injection. Santokhi and Vice President Ronnie Brunswick have yet to get an injection because they have recently contracted COVID-19.
