THE Berbice Regional Health Service (BRHS) has administered in excess of 9,000 yellow fever vaccines to residents of Regions Five and Six over the past three weeks.Director of the BRHS, Jevaughn Stephens, told the Government Information Agency (GINA) during a telephone interview that the vaccines were administered at the Public Health building located on the bottom flat of the BRHS building.
Children from as young as age 11 to elderly individuals have benefited from this initiative as the immunisation process continues.
On July 8, 2016, the Ministry of Public Health issued a press release stating that, “Following the recent outbreak of yellow fever in Angola, several countries have imposed the requirements for vaccination against the disease for travel 10 days prior to arrival.”
It added that, “Guyana, as a part of the Latin American Region with risk of yellow fever is listed as one of the countries whose residents would be required to be immunised and issued with a yellow fever certificate prior to travel.”
The release also urged that “with the presence of the vector that transmits yellow fever and an uncertain “salvatic” environment in the hinterland, it is advisable that persons travelling from countries listed as endemic for yellow fever (mainly in Africa and Asia) should also be in possession of a valid International Certificate of Vaccination or prophylaxis on arrival in Guyana.”
The countries listed as endemic are mainly from the African continent. Thus far it does not include countries in North America, Europe, Central America and the Caribbean.
Individuals who require more information on the public health recommendations for travel can contact the Ministry of Public Health on telephone number 226-1560 or contact their nearest health care facility, for more information.