Approximately 5,000 Sputnik V second dose components arrived in Guyana yesterday and those awaiting their shots may be able to access them from tomorrow.
The vaccines have arrived just weeks after the latest tranche of second doses was exhausted. The national vaccination programme has run out of second doses on multiple occasions.
While the arrival of the shipment was not announced, it was observed by reporters who were present at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport for the arrival of other vaccines yesterday.
The shipment was offloaded and then placed into a cold storage truck almost immediately. When asked about the arrival of the shots, Minister of Health Dr. Anthony stated that the latest tranche accounts for some 5,000 jabs, all of which he said were the second dose components.
“We did receive some Sputnik today. As I’ve said earlier, we were expecting a number of second doses and that’s what we saw came in,” he noted.
He added that another shipment of the vaccines is expected next week and so persons who are due for their second dose can receive it—those persons being those who received their first dose in May and have yet to receive their needed second shot.
“We would be able to give those doses probably from Sunday because we have to take this in and check it off and so forth. So by Sunday but latest by Monday, people would be able to access those doses,” he explained.
This shipment of second dose components now means that Guyana has so far received, 81,268 second Sputnik V Second shots and as such has a total of 163,000 outstanding to be able to match the amount of first doses received.
