Minister Brantley submitted the request through the US Ambassador to the Eastern Caribbean, the OECS and Barbados, Linda Taglialatela.

He made the revelation during his presentation at a virtual forum which was hosted by the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States on March 19.

The virtual forum was meant to address “Legal challenges faced by the Caribbean in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“We in the Caribbean continue to make the passionate plea that vaccines be made available to us with some alacrity. We are aware from reports in the New York Times just yesterday that the great United States of America has made vaccines available to Mexico and Canada. I have myself indicated to the United States that…having benefitted the other two borders Mexico and Canada, that it would perhaps be useful for them to think of their third border, the Caribbean, and to make vaccines available to us in the region as well,” he said.

Noting the challenges faced by the Caribbean and Latin America in their attempts to procure vaccines, Brantley urged the OAS Secretary-General for assistance in this regard.

“The difficulty, of course, is that we have not been able to access sufficient vaccines to satisfy our populations…The other issue of course has to do with the equality of vaccine access and that has proven problematic because naturally, some countries are in a better financial position than others, some countries are themselves producers of vaccines.

“And I’m happy Secretary-General that you are here because I think through your office we can assist each other in saying that there has to be a human right to the equitable access of vaccines because as we have secretary-Generale to maintain, none of us is safe until all of us are safe.”

Saint Kitts and Nevis Foreign Affairs Minister urged the OAS Secretary-General to be an advocate for the Caribbean.
“I feel that we have vested interest in insisting that vaccines be made available to our people on an equitable basis,” he said.

Mr Luis Amalgro, OAS Secretary-General, who was also a participant in the important forum, said he agreed with Minister Brantley’s position on equitable access to the vaccine for the region.

He said: “Most of us agree that the COVID-19 vaccine should be distributed fairly worldwide because we believe in the principle of fairness. The global pandemic requires a response based on unity, solidarity and multi-lateral cooperation to ensure that all states have access to vaccines.”

The OAS Secretary-General said he too joins the call for equal access to and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.