THE long-awaited shipment of the second dose of the Russian-produced Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in Guyana and will be ready for distribution from today, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, announced on Monday.
Minister Anthony noted that the shipment is the first of several that will cater to the Guyanese who have already taken the first dose of the vaccine. Priority will be given to those who received their first dose in April as the 12-week deadline for the second dose is almost up.

Owing to the breakout of the Delta variant and the efficacy rate of the Sputnik V vaccine for protection against the virus, the procurement of the second dose has been very difficult as shortages have been recorded worldwide.
Minister Anthony, during Monday’s COVID-19 update, urged citizens to allow those persons who received their first dose in April to take their second dose first.

The guidelines for the 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.

“We have now been able to get second dose Sputnik V into the country and, of tomorrow, we will start administering those second doses but you would recall that we also have given people a time period and that is between four weeks to 12 weeks when you could come and get the second dose of the vaccine. The longer you wait, the better you will get the durability of the vaccine or the durability of your immune response. So, for now, we would like to give it to the persons who would have received their first dose in April,” said Minister Anthony.

Minister Anthony said that while vaccination rates have been increasing, there is still a significant way to go before the country could achieve herd immunity, which is essentially the immunisation of 80 to 85 per cent of the country’s adult population.
He related that it is with this in mind that the government has been taking steps to ensure its vaccination efforts are bolstered.

As of Monday, July 12, 2021, 239,453 or 49.2% of adult Guyanese have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Of this amount, about 120,068, or 24.7 per cent have received both doses.
Another indicator of the government’s seriousness about achieving herd immunity is the recent arrival of 100,000 doses of the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine. The government purchased the doses from the manufacturer and they will be used to immunise some 50,000 Guyanese.