With the latest COVID-19 infections predominant among adults ages 18 to 39, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony is appealing to persons within this age group to get vaccinated against the virus as they account for the lowest vaccination rate in the country.
According to Anthony, only 27.2% of Guyanese who are between 18 and 40 years have received a first dose of the vaccine. “We will have to work more on this age group because when we look at the number of infections, we see that these new cases are predominantly between the ages 18 and 40. So this group is more vulnerable to infection because they are more active and because of this they can spread the infection to others so it is important that we immunise this age group. I would like to make an appeal for the younger persons, people between 18 and 40, to come forward and get their vaccine because this would help us to contain the spread,” he said during his daily COVID-19 update, which was broadcast on Friday.
Anthony revealed that an estimated 66.2% of Guyanese who are 60 years and older have been vaccinated. He said 33% of persons aged 40 to 59 have also been vaccinated to date. As of Thursday, he said a total of 177, 649 persons have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with 47,504 persons having already received their second vaccine shot. Based on these numbers he said, 36.5% of the country’s adult population have received their first dose and 9.8% have been fully immunised.
Providing a regional breakdown, Anthony said 39.2% of Region One’s adult population has been vaccinated; 36.4% in Region Two; 37.5% in Region Three; 36.9% in Region Four; 38.5% in Region Five; 43.6 in Region Six; 37.1% in Region Seven; 33.9% in Region Eight; 34.9% in Region Nine; and 11% in Region Ten.
He also noted that there has been “slight improvements” in the vaccine uptake in Region Ten.
The minister went on to make an appeal to leaders in Region Ten to urge residents to get vaccinated, while noting that there is an increase in COVID-19 infections in that region. He disclosed that the region currently has over 140 active COVID-19 cases, with clusters in several communities.
“On a daily basis we are seeing new cases in Region Ten and we know these vaccines will help reduce the severity of the virus,” he said before adding that there hasn’t been a case where a person got infected and had severe symptoms or died after taking both doses of the vaccine.
Anthony added that the ministry will continue its collaboration with regional authorities to educate residents of Region Ten on the vaccine and dispel any misinformation or myths that may be circulating in the region.
He said that the biggest challenge they have faced is to get persons to go to reputable sites for information on the vaccine. “A lot of times I don’t think people are analyzing medical and scientific information and are going by hearsay. It is because of this they are putting themselves in danger and following wrong advice and so if there are any questions pertaining to vaccine you can consult with your medical doctor and go to reputable websites like the CDC [Center for Disease Control] [or] WHO [World Health Organization]… for appropriate information,” he said.
