AS Guyana continues its aggressive COVID-19 vaccination rollout, after already administering more than 210,000 people with their first of two doses, an additional 100,000 first doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine were received, on Monday afternoon, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

The amount of vaccines received on Monday was confirmed by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ministry of Health, Shabana Shaw. In total, Guyana received about 305,537 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine as well as 118,400 AstraZeneca doses and 20,000 Sinopharm vaccines.

The Russian Sputnik V vaccine, like the AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines, is given in two doses. The first dose, according to scientists, helps the body to recognise the virus and allows the immune system to respond; the second dose, on the other hand, is known as the ‘booster dose’ and it helps to strengthen immunity.

Unlike the AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines which have identical first and second doses, the second dose of the Sputnik V vaccine is made differently from the first.

Recently, the Ministry of Health announced that there has been a shortage of the second dose of the Sputnik V vaccines, owing to a delay in shipment. The Guyana Chronicle understands that the shipment is expected soon.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, recently explained that if people are due for their second dose of this particular vaccine, but are unable to receive it because of the shortage, there is no need to worry, since the date for the second dose has been extended.

For clarity, the Health Ministry had asked people who received their first dose of the Russian vaccine, by way of writing in their blue vaccination books, to return four weeks after to get their second dose. This was because the Gamaleya Research Centre, which developed the Sputnik V vaccine, advised that the second dose should be given at this time.

More recently, however, the Research Centre, by way of a press release, noted that it is possible to increase the minimum interval between the first and second vaccine doses up to 12 weeks (or three months) after getting the first. This has been accepted by the local Health Ministry.

As such, those people who are now due for their second Sputnik V dose, but are unable to receive it due to the shortage, can wait until the consignment of second doses arrives to get that jab.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has noted that those who require the second dose of the AstraZeneca and Sinopharm can get those vaccines now.

Guyana has ordered a total of 800,000 Sputnik V vaccines; 400,000 first doses and 400,000 second doses.

The Adviser at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, said that the fact that Guyana was able to secure such a large number of vaccines when other countries have not been able to do so, proves that the government has been “very aggressive” in its efforts to tackle the disease.