With the recent approval of a booster shot for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Guyana’s Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony yesterday noted that authorities here are examining to possibility of administering same.
He made the disclosure during his daily COVID-19 update, where he was speaking on the country’s COVID-19 inoculation programme and noted that the single-dose vaccine is currently available at various sites across the country.
Reuters reported last week that the FDA gave authorisation for booster (additional) doses of the vaccine to be administered to sections of the United States population.
“About a week ago the FDA has recommended that after 52 days you will have to get a booster shot, so right now we are examining the possibility of that,” Dr. Anthony said while noting that currently the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine here will be restricted to a single dose.
He encouraged persons to come forward and get their shots as there are a number of vaccines currently available countrywide. Anthony noted that there are still lots of persons who should come forward to get their first doses in every region as the country is still not at the 80 per cent mark for the administration of a first dose. He said Region Four is the only one to have achieved the administration of just over first doses to 80% of the eligible adult population.
“…Therefore there is still a lot of room for persons to come forward and get one of the COVID-19 vaccines,” he said before noting that persons need to also return for their second doses where applicable.
Further he noted that as it related to the Sputnik V shots there are both first and second doses available and those persons who are due for their second dose should come forward as those doses are available. This, he said, comes as authorities received a shipment of second doses last week although he did not mention exactly how many doses came and when they arrived.
He said, “If you are waiting on your second dose Sputnik V, now is the time to come and ensure that you complete the series.”
