SCORES of senior citizens on Sunday turned up at the Ministry of Health secretariat on Brickdam, Georgetown, in high spirits to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Guyana Chronicle visited the secretariat on Sunday afternoon where the COVID-19 immunisation campaign was in full swing and spoke with some of the folk who took the jab, as well as the health care professionals who were administering the shots.

Dr. Oneka Scott, a maternity child health officer at the vaccination site, praised the high turnout of senior citizens who showed up throughout the day, and who were enthusiastic to be vaccinated.

“We understand [the excitement] because vaccines work, vaccines are one of the biggest public health miracles of our 21st century and people are now understanding the importance of being immunised, training our bodies to protect us so that we don’t suffer fatal consequences of diseases that we can eradicate by just taking a shot,” Dr. Scott noted.

The vaccination drive began at 10:30hrs and concluded at 15:00hrs. Upon visiting the vaccination site, persons sanitised themselves and moved on to the registration and screening checklist area where they were asked a series of medical questions to ensure that they were eligible to receive the vaccine.

Once eligibility was confirmed, registration was conducted and persons then moved on to receive their shots of the vaccine by a vaccinating officer who briefs them on the possible side effects. They are then placed in an observation area for 15 minutes, after which they made their way home.

“Most persons will be receiving a telephone call within a 24 to 48 hours period to find out how they are doing. So far, most of the calls have been positively fed back to us,” Dr. Scott noted.

The “jab” has to be administered twice: for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine from India, the second dose is given three months apart, while for the Sinopharm vaccine from China, it is 28 days apart.

“We’ve had a lot of curiosity, interest and positivity; the staff has been working overtime because of the importance of having this activity done and having it continued in order to get to the stage of herd immunity. We are enthusiastic and ready to work beyond the call of duty if that is what it takes,” Dr. Scott said.

The vaccines are being administered in stages: frontline healthcare workers were the first to be vaccinated and now Guyana is vaccinating persons 60 years and older.

“So currently, all the remaining categories of healthcare workers have been targeted; those on the frontline who missed their first chance and those who are in the primary healthcare sphere and those who are allied healthcare workers and of course we’re targeting persons who are 60 and above,” Dr. Scott added.

She noted that the Government of Guyana has made provision, for everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated and new sites will be opened across the country to make the service more accessible.

Meanwhile, Desiree Edghill, 65 of Perseverance, East Bank Demerara, Executive Director of Artistes In Direct Support (AIDS), was one of the persons to receive her vaccine on Sunday. She explained that she was encouraged by her sister, a healthcare worker in the United States of America (USA), to take the vaccine.

Edghill, a cancer survivor, explained that not only did she take the vaccine to protect herself, but also to set an example for persons she works with, most of whom are affected by HIV or AIDS.

She commended the staff at the Ministry of Health secretariat.
“From registration to vaccination, the process is very fast” and the health officials administering the vaccine are “very polite and calming.”

Howard Cox, 70 and his wife, who did not want to be named, a cancer survivor herself, posited that scientists have worked long and hard to develop a vaccine that can work to limit the severe consequences of the virus. They believe it is important to take the vaccine to protect themselves and others around them.

The couple explained that while they felt “okay” after taking the vaccine, some side effects are normal, but they are not too worried about it.

Haimraj Singh, 66 of Ogle, East Coast Demerara, told the Guyana Chronicle that he took the vaccine as a precaution against the spread of the virus. He extended gratitude towards the government for making senior citizens a priority in the administration of the vaccine, as well as the Governments of India and China for their donations and support.

Singh, who was advised by his daughter, a healthcare worker in the United Kingdom, to take the “jab,” is advising his peers to do so as well.

Tamika Threlfall, a registered midwife, who was also part of the administration team on Sunday, noted that persons who got the vaccine responded very well.

Threlfall, who received the vaccine herself, noted that as a health worker, she took the vaccine with great confidence and she feels happy that she is able to help in curbing the spread of the deadly virus.