With the official COVID-19 death toll now at 512 and growing, an existential threat faces those persons who have refused to be vaccinated with one of the several shots available here.
Based on the latest Ministry of Health figures from July 16th, 241,680 persons have received the first dose of a vaccine and 126,620 persons have received both doses and can now be considered fully vaccinated. While these figures are commendable considering the dire difficulties countries like Guyana faced in acquiring vaccines, hesitancy is now the major problem and the government and other stakeholders in society have to address how to spur inoculations and soon.
Vaccinations have slowed in recent weeks based on figures provided by the Ministry of Health despite the various initiatives that have been taken. Between July 15 and 16, 670 persons received their first vaccination, 618 between July 14 and 15, 515 between July 13 and 14 and 424 between July 12 and 13. A daily average of 441 persons received their first jabs between June 25 and June 30, a daily average of 552 between June 18 and 25 and a daily average of 982 between June 5 and 10.
While there was a much larger number of willing persons available for vaccines earlier in the year, daily injections have fallen substantially. If the average of the last four daily figures provided by the Ministry of Health is taken into account, the recent number of first vaccinations averaged 556, a low figure considering the dozens of inoculation centres operating daily. If another 200,000 persons have to be inoculated to bring the general population to a zone of relative safety, then it would take nearly a year to get there and this would delay any normalising of conditions here. Even then, that would only be first doses and a similar number of second jabs would have to be administered.
The reticence to be vaccinated against COVID-19 is irrational and unfathomable particularly in light of the availability of vaccines and the tens of thousands here who have been inoculated without reports of serious side effects. The mounting death toll here from COVID – as underreported as it probably is – makes clear the palpable danger facing those persons who refuse to be vaccinated amid hesitancy and the most ludicrous conspiracy theories.
While information has been hard to come by, Stabroek News has reported on several cases where deaths have occurred of persons who did not have a vaccination. One of the occurrences related to two sisters who both succumbed after being exposed to the virus. With the emergence of the Delta variant that has become the predominant strain globally and has been seen to be more infectious than earlier strains, those unvaccinated persons who have thus far not been infected are putting themselves and those they live with in danger.
It remains the case that even double-vaccinated persons can still become infected with the virus – a recent prominent example of this being the new British Health Secretary Sajid Javid, 51, who had two doses of the AstraZeneca shot. He has however reported that he has only had mild symptoms and this remains the signal lesson from the millions of vaccinations worldwide. There is no 100% guarantee on any vaccine but the evidence shows that a single-vaccinated or fully-vaccinated person has an excellent chance of resisting the worst effects of the virus and hospitalisation.
The government here has to expand its campaign to mobilise persons to come forward for first vaccines. It needs an effective coalition to do this and must begin reaching out to the opposition both directly and in Parliament so there can be full mobilisation. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Harmon will no doubt recognise that the lowest rate of uptake of the vaccine has occurred in the APNU+AFC stronghold of Region Ten. Based on reports it is also likely that similar hesitancy is occurring in the coalition’s largest stronghold of Region Four. The government and Mr Harmon should take joint efforts to boost immunisation in both of these regions and Region Eight. The government also has to consider how civil society can be mobilised to encourage inoculations.
The eighth meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director-General under the International Health Regulations regarding COVID-19 was held on July 14th 2021 and underlined the ongoing concerns about the pandemic.
It stated that “despite national, regional, and global efforts, the pandemic is nowhere near finished. The pandemic continues to evolve with four variants of concern dominating global epidemiology. The Committee recognised the strong likelihood for the emergence and global spread of new and possibly more dangerous variants of concern that may be even more challenging to control”.
The Committee further “unanimously agreed that the COVID-19 pandemic still constitutes an extraordinary event that continues to adversely affect the health of populations around the world, poses a risk of international spread and interference with international traffic, and requires a coordinated international response”. It remains a public health emergency of international concern.