Guyana is expected to receive approximately 150,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine next month.
This is according to Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony who stated during his daily COVID-19 update yesterday that the government’s policy is to acquire as many vaccines as possible from multiple sources. The health minister went on to say that the procurement of these vaccines is being facilitated through a deal between CARICOM and the African Union (AU).
In February, Anthony had said in the National Assembly that through this arrangement the AU has set aside some 1.5 million doses of vaccines for the Caribbean. He had subsequently reported that the doses were not going to be free.
During yesterday’s update he noted that the country is expected to get approximately 150,000 doses of the vaccines and the government made a down payment last week for same. “We are hoping that during June we will be able to get those vaccines and what we were told is that the vaccines would be the J&J vaccine which is the one-dose vaccine”, he said.
The vaccine which has an efficacy of over 70%, he said, would be used in the interior areas and areas that are very difficult to reach. He noted, “If you give that one shot that would be very helpful for the staff out there”.
Meanwhile, he added that they have also been working with the WHO’s COVAX mechanism and Guyana is expected to receive another shipment of vaccines by mid-June.
