The Bank of ALBA established on Tuesday an air bridge to deliver a batch of 20,000 Sinopharm vaccines against COVID-19 to Antigua and Barbuda. The vaccines were donated by the People’s Republic of China to immunize the population of the Caribbean island in the context of the solidarity promoted by the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP).
At the Saint Jhon’s International Airport, where Venezuela’s Conviasa airplane landed with the shipment, the President of the Bank of ALBA, Raúl Li Causi, explained the Humanitarian Fund of this financial institution was activated to make this delivery possible.
“We have helped with logistics, and this is part of our efforts to continue supporting in the pandemic situation our countries are in,” said Li Causi.
The president of the Bank of ALBA highlighted that thanks to these 20,000 doses, Antigua and Barbuda will be able to vaccinate nearly 40% of its population.
“It’s an honor and it’s our duty to be here making this cooperation possible,” said Li Causi.
China’s state pharmaceutical company Sinopharm reported this vaccine features a high level of antibodies against the virus, up to 99.52% for people receiving two doses.
In January, at a Meeting of the ALBA-TCP Social Council, the president of the Bank of ALBA announced the funds of the 2021 Post-pandemic Working Plan – approved months earlier – were available for the creation of an Humanitarian Fund aimed at purchasing treatments and vaccines, among other actions for the common benefit of the ALBA-TCP member countries.
On that occasion, the ALBA-TCP member states agreed to establish an air bridge to safely transport those medicines procured through this Humanitarian Fund, thanks to which the Bank of ALBA sent a first shipment of 20,000 Sinopharm vaccines to the Commonwealth of Dominica.