Minister Dangui Oduber informed this morning that “Aruba is ready to receive the vaccine during a press conference. We have complied will all requirements from the Netherlands, and now we are waiting for RIVM to come.”
During the press conference, the Minister talked about a zero prevalence study on Covid-19 in Aruba. More than 5 thousand people have tested positive since March 2020, but some were positive but never tested. Through this study, we could find out more about these cases.
He also elaborated on the vaccine that Aruba will receive from the Netherlands. In December, a meeting took place between the countries of the Kingdom and RIVM on the procedures that must be followed to receive and manage the vaccine. The Netherlands received its first order of the Phizer vaccine, the one most difficult to store. The Minister explained that this vaccine must be kept at temperatures of -80 degrees celsius.
It is unknown how many doses Aruba will receive yet, but the first shipment is scheduled to arrive mid-February. The Netherlands received 8.2 million for the first quarter, of which we are expected to receive a few thousand vaccines.
People working in the health sector, the elderly in nursing homes, 60+, and those who suffer from chronic diseases are the first ones eligible to get vaccinated.
The freezers to store the vaccines will arrive on January 13th and are provided by the Netherlands. At the end of this month, RIVM will come to Aruba to control the entire procedure. “We hope that after the first quarter, we could have as many people vaccinated as possible so we could return to normality,” the Minister said.
To receive the vaccines, Aruba had to hand in a manual of how they will handle the vaccine, where the vaccination will occur, plan for mass vaccination, vaccination registry coordination, storage logistics, and an awareness plan. “Now we have complied with all the requirements, Aruba is ready to receive the vaccine. After the arrival of the freezer and visit from RIVM, we will start vaccination.”
