On Tuesday, May 25th, dozens of members from the Chinese community in San Pedro Town made their way to the island’s Lions Den to get their first dose of the Sinopharm vaccine against COVID-19. This is the second vaccine available in Belize besides the Oxford-AstraZeneca, and it has attracted the Chinese community because it is made in their country of origin.
One of the persons getting the vaccine shared that they trust Sinopharm because he has researched it in his native language. They also feel more comfortable using a product made in China besides AstraZeneca, which is made in other countries. The vaccine is not only available to Asians but to anyone that may want to get it. This includes persons in phases one through three: person ages 60+, health care workers, people with special conditions, teachers, police officers, tourism sector, government personnel (judiciary, immigration, etc.), security forces, persons with co-morbidities, and utility workers. The public is reminded that if anyone within these categories did not get the AstraZeneca vaccine, they could get a dose of Sinopharm.
Sinopharm was approved on May 7th by the World Health Organization. Belize received a batch of 10,000 doses early in April 2021 as a donation from the United Arab Emirates. Belize did not distribute the vaccine until it was approved. Sinopharm is currently used in 42 countries, including Latin America and the Caribbean. The efficacy of this vaccine against symptomatic infection caused by COVID-19 is 79% after a person has received the two required doses in the first 14 days.
