–Minister Anthony says
MINISTER of Health Dr. Frank Anthony on Tuesday reassured Guyanese that the second dose of the Russian-produced Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine will arrive in the country before the 12-week timeline is up for persons waiting to be fully immunised.
The Health Minister reminded persons that the guidelines for administration of the Sputnik V vaccine stipulate that there is an allotted timeframe of four to 12 weeks as the optimal time for full vaccination. Research had indicated that just one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine has an efficacy rate of about 79 per cent, with an 88 per cent prevention of hospitalisation. These numbers increase to approximately 97 per cent after the administration of the second dose.
Minister Anthony said that these numbers establish the fact that persons who received the first dose need not be worried about not being protected against the disease.
“No person that we have administered Sputnik V as first-dose would have gone past 12 weeks, so they are still within the time period when they can get that second dose.
“We know after that first dose, your efficacy is generally about 79 per cent; and when you get that booster shot in between the four weeks to the 12 weeks, it goes up to about 97 per cent. So, even without the booster shot, if you get a single dose of Sputnik, you will still be protected,” the Health Minister related.
Considering the empirical evidence which suggests that the high efficacy rate of the first dose of the Russian vaccine, and the Government of Guyana’s commitment to have the second-doses here within the established timeframe, Minister Anthony said that persons should continue taking the vaccines, and doing their part to combat the pandemic.
NO MIXING OF VACCINES
Meanwhile, Minister Anthony highlighted that the government does not intend to mix the first-dose of any vaccine with another from a different manufacturer.
He related that since the vaccines were introduced, manufacturers were keen on advising countries to refrain from using two different types of vaccines on one individual.
“Manufacturers are quite reluctant to allow countries to mix vaccines. We have followed that guidance, and so if you get a first-dose AstraZeneca, you would get the second-dose AstraZeneca; if you get first-dose Sinopharm, you’re going to get second-dose Sinopharm. These two vaccines that we had used, what you get for your first-dose is the same thing you’re going to get for your second dose,” Dr. Anthony said. Further, he said that manufacturers are also concerned about any potential side-effect that could arise if vaccines are mixed.
The Health Minister further said that while Guyana does not subscribe to this method of dual vaccination, the country is currently assessing the results coming out of international studies.
“We have seen studies now emerging where people are mixing and matching, and we await to see the results from those studies to see how efficacious those studies have been; there is very limited data right now, but we’ll have to see the scientific evidence before we suggest any change to the regime that we have,” Dr. Anthony reasoned.
As it is now, Guyana has both doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, as well as the Sinopharm vaccine. With those vaccines being available, the Health Minister has advised that persons who are desirous of receiving vaccines from these manufacturers to get vaccinated at any of the vaccination sites across the country.
As at June 29, 2021, a total of 232,599 Guyanese received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine; this reflects a total of 47.8 per cent of the country’s adult population.
Of the total amount, about 107,421 persons, or 22 per cent of the country’s adult population, have received both their first and second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
