Not 40,000 but 90,000 vaccines to Suriname this week

The Netherlands will send 90,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Suriname the day after tomorrow. Actually, a delivery of 40,000 doses was supposed to take place this week, but according to the Ministry of Health, hospitals in the Netherlands have ordered less of the vaccine, leaving room to deliver a larger batch to Suriname. In the Netherlands, AstraZeneca is only used for people who need a second shot with that vaccine.

According to VWS, the vaccines can be used directly in Suriname. Ultimately, the intention is for the Netherlands to supply 750,000 AstraZeneca doses, if possible this month, but that depends on the deliveries that the Netherlands itself receives.

50,000 Moderna vaccines would also be delivered to Suriname. For the time being, those doses are being replaced by AstraZeneca. Unlike Moderna, this vaccine can be stored at refrigerator temperature and is therefore easier to fit into the Surinamese vaccination program logistically. It therefore offers Suriname “more solace” than Moderna, says the ministry.

Oxygen

Last week revealed the NOS that 100,000 unused AstraZeneca vaccines were present in the Netherlands, which, however, would not yet be delivered to Suriname. According to outgoing minister De Jonge, this was to be able to absorb setbacks in deliveries in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands does not only send vaccines to Suriname. Last Tuesday, a first aid flight went to Paramaribo with, among other things, oxygen containers and personal protective equipment. A team of about twenty doctors, microbiologists and nurses followed on Friday.

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