— says First Lady as she encourages Guyanese to get vaccinated

GUYANA is one of the few countries in the world that has managed to secure enough COVID-19 vaccines to provide national coverage. Despite this incredible accomplishment, many Guyanese are still to be vaccinated.

On Monday, the country’s First Lady, Arya Ali, issued a broadcast message encouraging Guyanese to play their part in eliminating the deadly coronavirus by getting vaccinated.

“Vaccines are one of the most successful developments in modern medicine. It has made possible the eradication of small pox and provides hope for an end to this devastating pandemic, which has claimed the lives of over three million people,” Mrs. Ali said.
She emphasised that “Vaccines act as a protective shield, keeping our families and communities safe and bringing us closer to a day when we can put preventative diseases behind us.”

The First Lady lamented the fact that for vaccines to effectively make a difference, they require investments, trust and confidence.
“With countries scrambling to access vaccines to protect their populations, we must recognise how fortunate we are to have access to vaccines,” Mrs. Ali acknowledged.

So far, 142,869 persons have received their first ‘jab’ of the COVID-19 vaccines, while 5039 have already been fully immunised. Even so, Guyana’s vaccination numbers are still below what is expected.
“I want to urge you to take action during world immunisation week and do the same. You must protect yourselves, your families, and communities,” Mrs. Ali advised.

So far, Guyana has already recorded 303 deaths. With an adequate number of Guyanese vaccinated, the death toll could come to a halt, since vaccination is said to guard against fatalities and other serious consequences caused by the novel coronavirus.

“Get vaccinated; encourage your families and friends to ensure that they too are vaccinated; not only against COVID-19, but dangerous preventative diseases. Together, we can do this,” the First Lady concluded.