By Indrawattie Natram

AS the Ministry of Health rolled out its massive COVID-19 vaccination drive across the country, scores of elderly Essequibians joined queues and waited patiently to get the first dose of the vaccine.
The region on Monday received 150 doses of AstraZeneca, and 50 doses of Sinopharm. Vaccination began almost immediately, and continued uninterrupted until Friday. A break will be taken this weekend, and the process will resume on Monday. Persons 60 years and over, and frontline workers are among the first groups of people to be given the option to take the injection.
Medex Renota Singh, a member of the National COVID-19 Task Force who accompanied the vaccines to the region, told the Guyana Chronicle that persons have displayed overwhelming interest in the vaccine and being vaccinated.

To date, 384 persons in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) have taken the vaccine; 198 are frontline workers (82 males and 116 females), and 93 elderly persons.
Some of the region’s elders who took the vaccine are encouraging others to do the same to prevent serious illness and death.
The vaccines are being administered at the Oscar Joseph Hospital at Charity, the Anna Regina Health Centre, and the Suddie Public Hospital.
Lallman Ramjit, a farmer of Anna Regina, was among those who took the AstraZeneca vaccine at the Suddie Public Hospital. Speaking to this publication on Thursday, Ramjit said that after hearing of the vaccination drive, he immediately took the opportunity to get vaccinated.

Ramjit explained that he has seen the level of suffering COVID-19 patients have endured, and as such he believed it was necessary for him to take the vaccine.

“I do listen to my news every night, and I tell my wife whenever they start sharing to people my age, I would be in the line to take it; I don’t want to get sick and die and leave my family, and as such I got vaccinated,” the elderly man said. He used the opportunity to urge persons to take the vaccine, if it is available, to avoid becoming severely ill from the disease. On Friday at Anna Regina, the Guyana Chronicle met Bibi Ramjit. The woman noted that she is aware that vaccines are very uncomfortable to take, but she tried to think of the positive effects that are associated with taking the COVID-19 vaccine when she was getting her injection.
She explained that she is suffering from many underlining chronic diseases, and as such she opted to take the vaccine. She said the vaccination process was not as bad as she had thought.

Like Lallman, the woman urged fellow elders to join the line and take their vaccines.
Meanwhile, local chutney singer, Haresh Singh, who took his vaccine at the Anna Regina Health Centre, expressed his satisfaction with the process and how it was administered. He said he is confident that he will not get ill from the virus. Singh said that he had already made up his mind to take the vaccine whenever it reached Essequibo. Former headmistress, Laleeta Baksh also took the opportunity to take the vaccine. She said she heard that it was available, and did not hesitate to visit the health centre to get a dose. Baksh lauded the efforts being made by the Ministry of Health and the government to ensure that the life-saving vaccine was made available to the people of Region Two. “We must give high praises to the government. This is a good move; we accept the vaccines, and I am encouraging others to accept it,” another elder, Sookranie (only name given) said. Thus far, Guyana has received 3000 doses of the vaccine from Barbados, 20,000 from China, and 80,000 from India.
Through the COVAX facility, the government expects to receive 104,000 doses, and another 149,000 through a purchase agreement under a CARICOM-African Union pact.
The vaccine works by stimulating the body’s natural defence system, and causes it to produce its protection in the form of antibodies. It is injected into a muscle, and is given in two doses. The second dose is given twelve weeks after the first injection, and according to the Ministry of Health, persons must return for their second dose to complete their full course of vaccination.
The Ministry of Health has advised that although frontline workers and the elderly are taking the vaccines, it is important that persons continue to adhere to the COVID-19 precautions after being vaccinated. Persons are advised to continue wearing a mask, avoid crowds, clean hands and surfaces regularly, keep a distance of 6 feet, and to self-isolate and book a test if experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.