HEALTH Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, in his address to the National Assembly, disclosed that 16.8 per cent of the adult population in Guyana had been fully vaccinated and 46 per cent of adult population had already received their first shot. More recent data showed that the number of doses administered has surpassed 300,000 doses with that number continuing to increase with each passing day. The minister, however, drew attention to the fact that while the government is making every effort to make the vaccines available to all Guyanese, there appeared to be some measure of ‘hesitancy’ among some people to take the shots. This is not only unfortunate but it also borders on a fair degree of irresponsibility on the part of those who, for whatever reason or reasons, are so inclined. There is conclusive scientific evidence to suggest that the best way to protect oneself from the COVID-19 virus is to be immunised. That is why so many countries are in a mad scramble to secure adequate supplies of the vaccines which are currently in short supply. The Guyana Government has expended significant sums of money to procure the vaccines despite budgetary constraints, made even more challenging by the flood situation which is having a devastating impact on the lives of so many Guyanese.
In the United States, as elsewhere, there is a close correlation between infection rates and those who are unvaccinated. Data provided by the Department of Health and published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggested a marked increase in infection rates among younger people, as older people are much more likely to be fully vaccinated and hence less vulnerable to the effects of the virus.

The message is clear: vaccines do work and any attempt to deny this scientific fact is not only foolhardy but dangerous as well. Like the experiences United States and other countries have so unmistakably demonstrated, the number of young people who are dying from the COVID-19 virus is on the increase. Guyana is no exception to this new reality.
This ‘hesitancy syndrome’ can only help the spread of the virus. People who still harbour reservations about the vaccines are doing so at their own peril and would do well to desist from such attitude. These views are clearly baseless and go against the grain of medical science.  This cannot be a case of ‘my body, my choice’. The virus by its very nature transcends the boundaries of age, gender, ethnicity or geography. Persons who remain unvaccinated pose a health risk not only to themselves and to their immediate families, but to the wider society.
Guyana is significantly ahead in terms of vaccination rates, both at the regional and global levels. This however, is no reason for complacency. We cannot breathe any sigh of relief until such time that the vast majority of the population is fully vaccinated or until we have reached the stage of ‘herd immunity,’ which we are still to achieve.

Interestingly, there are significant regional variations in terms of vaccination rates. Regions One and Six are the only two regions that have so far surpassed the 50 per cent mark, with Region 10 trailing behind with just around 14 per cent. The Health Ministry must be commended for the proactive and aggressive manner in which it has been pushing the vaccination drive, especially when considering the fact that several areas of the country were inaccessible due to the current flood situation.  Having an adequate supply of the vaccines remains a challenge to many countries especially in the developing world. This is why the recent announcement by leaders of the G7 countries to make available one billion doses of the vaccines free of cost to the poorer countries must be seen as a welcome initiative. Time however, is of the essence and the sooner the vaccines reach the intended beneficiaries, the better. As the Director of World Health organisation reminded us, this is not the time for what he termed ‘vaccine nationalism’. The solution to this global pandemic requires a global response. In such an environment, no one is safe until everyone is safe.