GUYANA has launched its first national influenza vaccination programme, marking what Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony described as a “historic milestone” in strengthening the country’s healthcare system.

The campaign, rolled out through the Ministry of Health’s Maternal and Child Health Department under the theme “Strengthening Systems, Guiding Growth, Protecting Lives through Influenza Vaccination”, was officially launched at the Eccles Health Centre on Friday.

Delivering the feature address, Dr. Anthony underscored the seriousness of influenza, pointing out that it is far from the “harmless illness” many believe it to be.

“Influenza is not as harmless as we sometimes believe. Globally, it affects around one billion people each year, resulting in up to 650,000 deaths. With vaccination, we can protect our vulnerable populations children, the elderly, pregnant women, and persons with chronic illnesses while also safeguarding our frontline health workers,” Dr. Anthony stressed.

Dr. Anthony highlighted that Guyana has bolstered its influenza surveillance capacity by joining the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) FluNet and FluID platforms.

Through these systems, the country now contributes critical data and virus samples to guide global vaccine development and monitoring.

The newly introduced vaccine, GC-Flu, is a trivalent influenza vaccine that offers protection against H1N1, H3N2, and Influenza B (Victoria lineage) strains.

Dr. Anthony reassured the public that the vaccine is safe, cannot cause influenza, and that any potential side effects are usually mild and short-lived.

The Ministry is urging all eligible persons, particularly those in vulnerable groups and healthcare workers, to access GC-Flu, which will be provided free of cost at health facilities nationwide.

Also present at the launch were Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton, Director of Primary Health Care Services; Dr. Nicholas Elliot, Monitoring & Evaluation Officer; and Dr. Garoma Dembele, PAHO/WHO Representative.

The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening immunisation coverage and protecting the health of all Guyanese.