The Ministry of Health yesterday began the vaccination of children ages 5 to 11 years against COVID-19.
The vaccines were administered at a special drive-thru exercise, held on the tarmac of the National Cultural Centre and which saw the attendance of over a 100 children and adults.
According to Shimeca Henry, Senior Public Health Nurse at the Ministry of Health, the children were screened prior to being vaccinated and were also monitored after to ensure there was no adverse reaction caused by the vaccine.
“…They will meet with a healthcare worker who is going to ask them some questions on a checklist, and once they’re to have the vaccine today, they will proceed to the registration area and then unto the vaccination area….after taking the vaccine we have an observation area where they will wait for at least 15 to 30 minutes,” Henry said.
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 years is administered in two doses separated by at least three weeks.
Henry told Sunday Stabroek that a second jab for those children who were vaccinated yesterday will be available in July.
“So if you had the first dose today, the second dose will be sometime in July…we have enough vaccines for the second dose for the 5 to 11 and we are also expecting some more shortly in order to continue the process of vaccination,” she explained.
Henry said yesterday’s vaccination campaign saw a great turnout and that many parents who took their children to get vaccinated were satisfied with the process.
One parent, Khemraj Sawh, who took his 7-year-old daughter to get vaccinated, said he was excited for his child to finally be protected against the novel coronavirus.
“Personally I feel that the vaccine is good for the children because it serves as protection from various virus that might be in circulation…I am excited that it is here finally so that we can have our children being protected,” Sawh told Sunday Stabroek.
The need to protect their children appeared to be foremost on the minds of those who turned out. “I think this is long overdue given the current spike in cases so it was worrying and so as much as I can do to protect my kids and myself I am willing to do that,” another parent, who brought his 11-year-old son to be vaccinated, said.
Trineca Pollard said that as a mother she feels positive that the vaccine will work to protect her son and as a a result she will ensure that he receives his second dose. “I feel positive about the vaccine that it works and I will be bringing back my son so that he could get his second dose.”
A total of 52,800 doses of the paediatric vaccine were donated by Spain and had arrived in the country last Monday.
Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony has said that they would be administered on a “first come, first served” basis.
While yesterday’s exercise was intended for children, some adults also used the opportunity to get themselves vaccinated as well. Henry said adult shots for first, second dose and booster doses were made available. (Aviso Paul)
