First vaccines administered in Haiti since the beginning of the pandemic

Health workers and the elderly were the first people vaccinated in Haiti on Friday as part of a test after the country recently received 500,000 doses from the United Nations.

Vaccinations were administered to more than 30 people at the University of Peace Hospital in the capital, Port-au-Prince, under the supervision of the Haitian Ministry of Health, the Pan American health organization told Associated Press.

On Wednesday, Haiti received its first doses of vaccine since the pandemic began as part of a U.S. donation to the United Nations COVAX program for low-income countries. A PAHO spokeswoman previously told the PA that all are Modern vaccines.

Vaccinations will continue over the weekend, PAHO said.

Haiti has reported more than 19,300 confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 480 deaths amid the largest wave of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. Experts believe these figures are widely underreported, as there is little evidence in Haiti, which has more than 11 million people.

PAHO said this week that it was concerned about the thousands of Haitians who have lost their homes amid a recent rise in gang violence and are now crammed with cramped shelters that it said could become “ active hotspots ”for the transmission of COVID-19.

Haiti is also now facing the aftermath of the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

Vaccinations began nearly two months after the government announced a health emergency and imposed a curfew and security measures. Facial masks are required to enter some companies, but few Haitians follow suit despite buses and crowded markets.

In addition, health experts have warned that authorities should intensify educational campaigns amid widespread distrust of the vaccine and government officials.

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