Contracts for the expansion of existing vaccination storage centres have already been awarded as preparations to receive the COVID-19 vaccine are underway.
This was disclosed on Monday by Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony.
“In terms of getting ready a physical area for storage of vaccines, those places are really going to be our existing sites where we have been storing vaccines in all the regions. So we are expanding those,” he explained, adding that with the expansion they will be adding the necessary freezers and fridges.
He stated that the ministry already has a network of facilities in each region with cold storage chains that have been used for storing vaccines for the regular immunisation programmes. He added that the spaces at those centres are currently being expanded for the new COVID-19 immunisation programme.
“We still have not received a firm commitment from COVAX about the types of vaccines that we will be getting, but by and large, COVAX has been talking to all the countries and they have been saying that probably you will get a mix of vaccines.” Dr. Anthony stated.
To this end he said that the cold chain system would have to be able to accommodate the range of vaccines that will be available through COVAX and as a result they have begun preparations for that. “So apart from expanding the physical space that we have, we have to buy the freezers that would match -70º C and minus -20º C and 2º to 8º C.”
Meanwhile, the minister also informed that freezers have already been ordered that can provide the -70º C and -20º C for storage, and those he said are on their way to Guyana. While stating that there are sometimes logistical issues that can cause delays he is hopeful to have those in Guyana early since the order was placed last year. He also noted that there are already freezers with the 2º to 8º C capacity in Guyana’s existing cold storage chain, however more were ordered to expand the capacity.
