With over 145,000 persons receiving their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and concerns being raised about the access to second shots, Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony yesterday assured that there is an adequate supply.
Anthony gave his assurance during the daily COVID-19 update, where he stated that some 145,797 persons have so far received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, which approximates to some 29.9% of the adult population. He added that of that number, some 5,309 have received their second jabs and are now considered fully inoculated.
“In terms of the doses for your second dose shot, I think there have been persons who were worried that they might not get their second dose shots but I want to assure them that we have set aside the vaccines to give them their second dose,” Anthony said.
He went on to say that with the AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines, when those were received, half of each tranche was set aside to be kept for second doses.
For the Sputnik V shots, he added, the country received the two different types of vaccines that are being used for the first and second doses. According to Sputnik V’s manufacturer, the two doses contain different types of adenoviral vectors to combat COVID-19. Anthony explained, “The vaccine that you receive as your first dose is not the same that you’ll get for your second dose. You will get a different vaccine as your second dose and again for those persons who have received your first dose we have second doses in the country to be given out to those who would become eligible,” he said.
Anthony, however, did not provide a breakdown of the number of first and second doses that were procured.
He said that there should be no worry as it relates to receiving the second dose of the vaccine as he mentioned, “we already have it here, we have it in storage” and that it will be rolled out at the appropriate time.
Guyana has acquired a total of 260,000 vaccines either through donations or purchase so far, including a total of 102,000 AstraZeneca vaccines, 20,000 Sinopharm vaccines and 138,000 Sputnik V vaccines. The country received 3,000 AstraZeneca vaccines from Barbados, 20,000 Sinopharm shots from China and 80,000 AstraZeneca vaccines from India, all through donations. Some 5,000 vaccines from a tranche donated by India were later donated to Barbados. Later 55,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccines, which were purchased by the government, arrived in the country followed by 24,000 doses of AstraZeneca from COVAX and most recently 83,000 more doses of Sputnik V shots.
Anthony explained that moving forward Guyana is depending on two main sources for vaccines, with the first being the COVAX mechanism. He added that Guyana expects some 38,000 more AstraZeneca shots from the facility and authorities are awaiting confirmation of the estimated time of arrival.
“In addition to what we are getting from COVAX, the Government of Guyana has purchased vaccines and we have purchased Sputnik V and those vaccines we have adequate amounts [of] to be able to immunize our population”, he said. With that he added that the challenge now is not acquiring vaccines but getting persons to take the vaccines.
