–Minister Anthony

MINISTER of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony has confirmed that the government is currently engaging the supplier of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine to ensure the second doses are shipped to Guyana soon. Minister Anthony made this disclosure during Tuesday’s COVID-19 update.
“We have already paid for these second doses; it’s just a matter of getting the supply into Guyana. Hopefully, we will get that by the ending of the week or early next week,” the health minister said.

On Monday, Guyana received 100,000 first doses of the Sputnik V vaccine at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), thereby boosting the country’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
On April 2, Guyana received its first consignment of 25,000 doses of the Sputnik V from Russia. This was followed by an additional 30,000 on April 12, then the largest consignment of 83, 000 on April 19. The vaccines are part of the 200,000 doses purchased by the Government of Guyana from the Government of the Russian Federation for approximately $800 million (US$4 million). Meanwhile, Minister Anthony is again appealing to citizens to come forward for the second dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines, as both doses are needed for the vaccines to be effective.

“You can receive that second dose anytime between four weeks and twelve weeks. I know that earlier we had put on the card for people to come back after 12 weeks, but the guidance is anytime between four weeks to 12 weeks that you can come for that second dose,” Dr. Anthony said, adding: “Similarly, we still have a few persons who would have received the Sinopharm vaccine, but they have not come forward to get their second dose… So, come and get that second dose, because, without the second dose, you would not be fully immunised.”
Minster Anthony noted that the vaccines are safe, and that several fixed sites are still open to facilitate persons interested in getting inoculated.   To date, 212,541 persons, or 43 per cent of the country’s adult population, have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 77,980, or 15 per cent, have been fully vaccinated against the disease. (DPI)