-says no vaccine-related deaths or serious illnesses have occurred

GUYANA’S coronavirus immunisation efforts have not resulted in any deaths or serious illnesses anywhere in Guyana. This clarification was provided by the Ministry of Health in its response to a social media video which purportedly shows a child suffering an instant and fatal reaction after receiving the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.

The ministry in its statement said that so far, 25,000 adolescents have received the aforementioned vaccine, and that no adverse effects have been recorded. “Those who are spreading such fake news, using a non-vaccine related tragedy, are guilty of dangerous, deadly mischief-making and propaganda,” the statement read.

It also condemned the authors of the post for seeking to capitalise on a family’s tragedy “to wickedly promote false stories about COVID-19 vaccines in an effort to derail the vaccine programme in Guyana.”

The statement advised those responsible for the post to desist from peddling misinformation, as their actions could have legal consequences. “The MoH intends to report this deliberate misinformation campaign to the [Guyana Police Force’s] Cybercrime Unit so that action can be taken to bring those responsible to justice,” the ministry said.

It also reiterated that all vaccines used for adolescents and adults are safe. “After more than 60,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, there have not been any serious negative reaction,” the ministry reassured the public. It also repeated its plea for all eligible citizens to come forward and get vaccinated.