–Dr. Ramsammy announces, says second dose guaranteed

FROM today, all persons aged 18 years and older are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccines locally, Adviser to the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has said in a post on his Facebook page.
On Thursday, during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Dr. Ramsammy lamented the spread of false claims that the country does not have enough vaccines to give the required second dose to individuals who received their first ‘jab’ of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I wish to make it pellucidly clear, everyone that has had a first dose is guaranteed their second dose,” Dr. Ramsammy said, adding: “And I can say that with confidence, and with 100 per cent assurance, because for every dose we have administered, we have put aside the second dose.”

To illustrate his point, he explained that of the 20,000 Sinopharm vaccines Guyana has received from the Government of China, only 10,000 individuals would be able to get that vaccine.
Subsequently, those same individuals will have to return between 21 to 28 days later to get their second ‘jab,’ since the Sinopharm vaccines are given in two doses. The Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccines, which have also been administered across Guyana, are also given in two doses.
“I would urge those who are spreading those fake stories to desist, because it is a disservice to our country; it is unpatriotic and a danger to public health,” Dr. Ramsammy lamented.
In a statement released subsequently, the Dr Ramsammy highlighted that the Ministry of Health’s goal is to reach 100,000 first-dose vaccinations early next week. He also said that there will be shipments of vaccines into Guyana every week over the next several weeks, with another 262,000 doses of first and second- dose vaccines which have been acquired to be delivered to Guyana.
With the vaccines Guyana has already acquired, and once additional vaccines arrive, Dr. Ramsammy wants to assure members of the public that Guyana will be able to fully vaccinate 261,000 persons. He indicated that more than 70,000 persons have already been vaccinated.

MORE SPUTNIK VACCINES
Meanwhile, during his daily COVID-19 update on Thursday, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony reported that 83,000 more doses of the Sputnik V vaccine are coming to Guyana by next week. These vaccines were expected this week, but the Guyana Chronicle understands that the shipment was unavoidably delayed. So far, Guyana has received a total of 182,000 vaccines.
Though he did not indicate that all adults will now be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccines from today, the Health Minister highlighted that that the country’s vaccination uptake is going quite well. Dr. Ramsammy, while speaking to the Guyana Chronicle, emphasised that vaccination for COVID-19 is the only sure way of exiting this pandemic. Though public health measures such as wearing masks, maintaining social distance and engaging in adequate sanitisation will help to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus, he explained that only a combination of the public health measures with vaccination can result in countries overcoming the pandemic.