— vaccination only accounts for 33 per cent of the population 

CHAIRMAN of the Health and Sanitation Committee in Region Two, Arnold Adams, has disclosed that only 33 per cent of the region’s population has taken the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines. Adams was, at the time, speaking at the statutory meeting of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) on Wednesday, in the boardroom of the RDC.

Adams, during his address to the RDC councillors, commended the efforts of Regional Health Officer, Dr. Ranjeev Singh, and his team for working around the clock to ensure residents are vaccinated against the virus.
Adams told the council that daily, the vaccination teams are in various communities administering the vaccines.
According to Adams, out of the 30,500 eligible persons in Region Two, only 11,000 have taken the vaccines so far. He also said that the vaccination campaign has intensified and encouraged persons to come on board and take the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We have to give credit to Dr. Ranjeev and his team, every weekend they are out in the fields working and ensuring the vaccination drives are conducted, for this, we want to say thank you to you and your team,” Adams said.Meanwhile, Dr. Singh said that the region is aiming to achieve herd immunity and can only do this if leaders and organisations come together to host vaccination drives. There are still some persons who are hesitant to take the vaccines.

Dr. Singh noted that once the region achieves herd immunity, it will be able to regain some state of normalcy. He also mentioned that the testing capacity in the region has increased and more and more persons are being tested positive.
To date, 34 persons are in isolation. As it relates to sensitisation, the Regional Health Services has intensified its public relation campaigns, educating and sensitising persons using various mediums to express the importance of taking the vaccines.

Apart from the fixed sites, every weekend there are several vaccination drives along the Essequibo Coast. These sites are usually published on the Region’s Health Services Facebook page in advance. The Regional Health Services has also partnered with various religious organisations and agencies to conduct various vaccination drives. He also said that vaccines are being released by the Ministry of Health based on the demand and if people are not taking the vaccines then the region will be left behind. He also said that there will be house-to-house vaccination to encourage persons to take the vaccines and to protect them from getting infected by the coronavirus.
He also said that it is important for persons to get vaccinated since there might come a time when persons might have to use their immunisation card as a passport to travel. Dr. Singh has therefore echoed calls for persons to visit the various vaccination sites in the region and get vaccinated. He said once the region achieves herd immunity, then persons would be able to walk without a mask but will still be expected to practice social distancing.

Both the AstraZeneca and Sputnik-V vaccines are available in the region. The vaccines stimulate the body’s natural defences, causing it to produce its protection in the form of antibodies. The Sputnik-V vaccine was documented as the first registered COVID-19 vaccine in the world on August 11, 2020. It is manufactured by the Russia Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) in collaboration with the Gamaleya Centre. The Ministry of Health is advising those who have been vaccinated to continue to take precautions. If anyone is experiencing symptoms of the virus, they should immediately book a test.