Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony announced yesterday that the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be shipped to Guyana in August.
Anthony had stated earlier this year that through an arrangement with the African Union and CARICOM, some 1.5 million doses of the vaccine have been set aside for the Caribbean. Of that amount, Guyana is expected to receive 150,000 doses of the vaccine. Only one dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is required for full vaccination.
Yesterday, the health minister, while speaking on the sourcing of vaccines for the country, stated that the government has paid for the vaccines and is expected to receive them through the African Union. “We have also paid for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and this is an arrangement that we have had with the African Union so we were required to pay for these vaccines.”
Anthony noted that while authorities have not been given a specific date for the arrival of those vaccines, they are expected be shipped to Guyana next month. “The latest information that we have is that they will be able to ship those vaccines to us in August.”
Further, he added that the government will continue to receive those vaccines that have been purchased from the UAE and they have also been working with the COVAX facility which has promised additional vaccines.
“COVAX has promised us that they would be sending additional vaccines to us sometime between now and September,” the health minister was quoted as saying.
