– 31,000 Guyanese already vaccinated

THE first batch of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for COVID-19 through the COVAX facility, comprising a quantity of 24,000 doses, were received, on Monday morning, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

The COVAX facility is a global mechanism that was created to ensure the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. COVAX is made up of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI); Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Gavi; the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO); the World Health Organization (WHO) and other stakeholders.

During the initial distribution phase from COVAX, Guyana is expected to receive a total of 100,800 doses of vaccine. Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Country Representative to Guyana, Dr. Luis Codina, at the handing over ceremony held at the CJIA, noted that this first delivery will be complemented with the remaining doses expected between April and May.

According to allocation figures on Gavi’s website, 15 Caribbean countries will receive just over 2.1 million doses of COVAX vaccines by May. Guyana is part of the smaller grouping of Advance Market Commitment (AMC) countries which will receive their first tranche of vaccines for free. Even though the first batch is a small portion of the overall supply of vaccines to be made available to the country through the COVAX facility, it is expected to go a long way to continue the vaccination drive that is currently ongoing.

Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, advisor to the Ministry of Health, who represented the Government of Guyana at the handing over of the vaccines, disclosed that 31,000 individuals residing in Guyana have so far received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr. Ramsammy, a former Health Minister, noted that with the arrival of the first batch of vaccines through the COVAX facility and the expected arrival of the 200,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine in a matter of days, it is the government’s intention to inoculate 10,000 persons per day, starting this week.

Further, this week, the second dose of COVID-19 vaccines will be available to those persons who received their first ‘jab’ during the initial stages of vaccination.

“So, Guyana is on the road, we are demonstrating that we are Guyana strong and we are on the road to ensuring that all persons resident within our borders are vaccinated in 2021,” Dr. Ramsammy said.

Dr. Ramsammy commended the COVAX initiative and expressed gratitude on behalf of the Government of Guyana to the stakeholders of the initiative for the timely donation.

“The intent [of COVAX] was to ensure that we put a dent in the inequity for vaccine supply. We may not have prevented the inequity but they are aggressive steps being made to ensure that no matter which country, we will be vaccinated against COVID-19,” Dr. Ramsammy said.

“We will spare no effort and we will invest whatever is necessary that every citizen in our country and everyone resident in our country, including migrants, are vaccinated against COVID-19. For us, this is the most important investment we can make at this time,” he added.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Guyana (ag), Irfan Akhtar, who was present at the handing over, noted that the arrival of this first batch of COVAX vaccines is one step further in ensuring that no one is left behind in the vaccination against COVID-19.

“There should be equitable distribution of vaccines in different regions and especially those regions which are hard to reach and supply chain is very weak, that’s why we need to put our efforts to make sure our vaccines are reaching in time and people in need are accessing the vaccines,” he said.

Meanwhile, European Union (EU) Ambassador to Guyana, Fernando Ponz Cantó, assured that the EU will continue to make every effort to provide support to countries such as Guyana.

“It is not a secret that we are going through a difficult period within the EU; we have a problem with vaccines, and that’s why I’m proud to say that so far the EU has exported almost as many vaccines as it has used with its own citizens,” he said during the ceremony at the CJIA.

Also present at the handing over was United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in Guyana, Mikiko Tanaka, who, on behalf of the UN, expressed satisfaction that the vaccines were made available to Guyana.

“COVAX is a global partnership; this COVID-19 pandemic is a global crisis and it needs a global solution and the UN system has come together last year to respond to this unprecedented crisis,” she said.

Guyana has so far received 20,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine as a donation from China and 80,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca, also as a donation from India.

In addition, Barbados extended to Guyana 3,000 doses of its Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines which were donated to them by the Government of India.

President Irfaan Ali, on Friday last, disclosed that Guyana will also receive 200,000 doses of the Russian-made Sputnik vaccine, through an arrangement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).