Haiti does not have a single vaccine to give to more than 11 million people a year since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and experts fear that the well-being of Haitians is being sacrificed amid violence and political instability.
For now, Haiti can expect only 756,000 AstraZeneca vaccines distributed by a United Nations program that delivers doses to the most needy countries. These free doses were due to arrive no later than May, but are expected to be delayed because Haiti has missed a deadline and an Indian producer is prioritizing domestic demand.
“Haiti has recently completed the necessary documentation for transportation,” said Gavi, the Geneva Vaccine Alliance, which partially manages the UN program called COVAX.
Haiti also did not sign up for a pilot program that distributes vaccines, according to the Pan American Health Organization. However, a spokeswoman praised other efforts by Haitians related to the pandemic, such as improving hospital preparedness.
Meanwhile, a state research center on human rights, quoted by a US State Department report, said the Haitian government had embezzled more than $ 1 million in aid to fight the coronavirus. The report also accused government officials of spending $ 34 million “in the darkest way,” ignoring a body that must approve state contracts.
Lauré Adrien, director general of the Haitian Ministry of Health, attributed the delay in the arrival of vaccines to suspicions about the AstraZeneca vaccine and fears that the country does not have the necessary infrastructure to store vaccines. He added that his agency prefers a single-dose vaccine. AstraZeneca requires two.
“It’s no secret that we don’t have good storage capacity” for vaccines, he said. “We want to make sure we have everything under control before we get the vaccines.”
Adrien claimed that the money received by his agency was well used, but that he had not received a response from other government agencies. A presidency spokesman did not respond to calls to discuss the issue.
Poor nations have to wait a long time for COVAX vaccines, as rich countries are hogging. Most, however, received at least one initial delivery. Some get vaccines through donations or private arrangements.
Haiti reports 12,700 infections and 250 deaths, figures that experts consider far from reality.
Although the use of companies is still mandatory within companies, airport closures and time off have been suspended for a long time and there are not many additional precautions.
“People don’t really believe in coronavirus,” said 26-year-old Esther Racine, who has two children whose father died in the 2010 catastrophic earthquake.
Racine once worked as a maid, but began selling masks at the beginning of the pandemic. He sold 800 tracks a month and now only sells 200.
“Look around you,” he commented, pointing to a crowd of masked people in downtown Port-au-Prince. His only customers today are people who need masks to enter a store.
He says Haitians have other concerns. “People are more concerned about violence than the virus,” he said.
Protests and rising kidnappings and gang killings are asking many how people will be vaccinated, given the instability and fear of leaving home.
There are also those who are afraid to get vaccinated despite educational campaigns. On the other hand, some officials have expressed concern about the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is being questioned in Europe because some people who received it have suffered from blood clots.
“We can’t get the vaccine and then we’ll find out it’s expiring because no one wants to get vaccinated,” Adrien said.
Among those who say they do not intend to be vaccinated is Dorcelus Perkin, the owner of a brick factory. One recent morning, the 60-year-old man supervised more than a dozen employees working outdoors. No one had personal protective equipment.
“We can’t wear masks in the sun. You would suffocate, “he said. He said the sun kills the virus, which scientists have not proven.
Perkin attributes his good health to the consumption of salted green tea every day. “I believe more in these remedies than in vaccines. I don’t know what’s in vaccines. “
International organizations are behind most COVID-19 educational resources and campaigns in Haiti. The Pan American Health Organization has provided the government with 500 test kits, along with instructions for laboratory diagnosis and detection of the virus. It also provided thermometers, personal protective equipment and other consumables, including megaphones and batteries for workers going to rural areas.
PAHO also trained 2,800 health workers in Haiti and held meetings with community leaders, including voodoo priests and traditional midwives, to share information about preventive measures and treatment centers.
In May 2020, the organization’s director said she was extremely concerned about the effects of a potential large-scale outbreak, given the fragility of Haiti’s health services and the fact that many people live in crowded homes and do not have access to water.
However, several experts are puzzled that the dreaded outbreak did not occur.
“It’s been surprising for a long time,” said Aline Serin, director of a mission for aid organization Doctors Without Borders. “At this time, there is insufficient research or documentation to explain why some countries are less affected by severe cases of COVID-19.”
It is unclear when the first COVAX vaccines will arrive.
Haiti is one of 92 low-income countries waiting for such vaccines. It is also one of the countries affected by last week’s announcement that March and April deliveries of orders made by the program to the Serum Institute in India – the world’s largest vaccine maker – have been suspended amid rising infections in India.
When the doses are available, experts predict that it will be difficult to bring them into the arms of Haitians.
First you have to convince people like Duperval Germain, a 55-year-old carpenter who says that neither he nor his children will be vaccinated. You are afraid of getting sick if you get vaccinated and do not receive adequate treatment.
“All these heads of state I’ve had, if they get sick, leave here,” he said. “If I get sick, where do I go? Save your vaccinations. Let them use them where they need them. Haiti does not need vaccines. “
Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Associated Press reporter Jamey Keaten contributed from Geneva.