– Min. Anthony tells Harmon over “fake vaccine” allegations
-says procurement was done with due diligence

MINISTER of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, has demanded that Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, produce the requisite evidence to support his claims of “fake vaccines” being imported and administered in Guyana.

“I must express my ministry’s and our government’s disappointment in your statements, which were done without any evidence, deeming the Sputnik V vaccines used in Guyana as “fake”, Dr. Anthony said in his written response to a letter from Harmon, who had requested the acquisition details for the Russian-made vaccine.

Dr. Anthony, in his correspondence dated June 19, 2021, criticised Harmon for making public statements that could jeopardise the lives of thousands of Guyanese. It was only on Thursday that the Member of Parliament hosted a press conference calling for a suspension in the administering of the Sputnik V vaccine, claiming that it could be fake.
“In doing so, you intentionally encouraged citizens to not take the vaccine and, therefore, put their lives at risk,” Dr. Anthony reasoned. The Health Minister indicated that Harmon’s failure to produce evidence to back his claims, should result in a withdrawal of his statements and a public apology to the Guyanese people.

The Health Minister highlighted that as of Friday, Guyana has vaccinated 227,070 people with their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while some 98,076 persons have been fully vaccinated. Further, more than 59,000 of the fully vaccinated people were administered the Sputnik V, with no adverse outcomes. Among them is the immunised Opposition Leader.
Responding specifically to the Opposition Leader’s request for acquisition details of the Sputnik V vaccines, Dr. Anthony reminded that the Government of Guyana hosted a briefing session with all political parties on matters pertaining to the importation of the lifesaving injections.

He said that the forum, hosted on April 26, 2021, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, afforded all party representatives the opportunity to ask questions and seek clarity on matters pertaining to the national vaccination efforts, and the vaccines themselves.
“Your representatives [from the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change] had the opportunity to ask several questions and were provided with all the answers,” Dr. Anthony indicated.

The Health Minister reminded, too, that the 29th Sitting of the National Assembly convened on Monday June 14, 2021, also entertained a series of “exhaustive” questions on the subject. “You were present and even asked a few questions of your own,” Minister Anthony reminded Harmon.
“I patiently answered all questions, especially those relating to the source of Sputnik V procured, the quantity procured, the arrival of the vaccines, and the shipment arrangements, including temperature monitoring,” Dr. Anthony added.

DUE DILIGENCE
He stated specifically that Guyana has not imported any vaccine without the requisite registration and approval for emergency use by Guyana’s regulatory agency, which is the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD).

“All due diligence was conducted prior to procurement of all vaccines. Rigid and continuous monitoring of vaccines storage temperature are in place from manufacturing factory, throughout transportation to Guyana, during storage in our bonds and at utilization sites,” minister Anthony informed.

The Government Analyst – Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) had also issued a statement indicating that the department would have assessed all vaccines using the guidelines set out by the World Health Organization (WHO), and that the methods of verification were reliant on Emergency Use Authorisation (EVA) issued by several serious reference authorities, including those in the United States and the United Kingdom.

The Department said, too, that Emergency Use Authorisations (EUA) were granted upon request as per protocol, and that it details the information of the vaccines that were intended to be imported; this includes the name and address of the manufacturer and supplier.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali, in a special broadcast message issued on Thursday last, described Harmon’s call for suspension as being “shamefully reckless, selfish, and against the interest of Guyana and Guyanese.”

Notwithstanding the Opposition’s “non-medical” claims, the government has committed to continue administering all of the vaccines that it has procured, including the Sputnik V, AstraZeneca and Sinopharm.

Dr. Anthony related that so far, the national vaccination programme has not had any adverse outcomes, and that no vaccinated person has developed any serious symptoms or has died. He therefore called on Harmon to be more responsible, and to join the government in its pursuit to vaccinate the entire adult population, as fast as possible. “It is in the interest and welfare of all of our citizens,” Dr. Anthony posited.

Globally, vaccination has been hailed as the only safe way for the world to exit the ongoing pandemic, which started more than a year ago. Fortunately, Guyana is one of the few nations that have been able to acquire enough vaccines to sufficiently immunise its entire adult population.