Guyana can expect an additional 200,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine this month which go to frontline workers, the elderly, persons with comorbidities and, ultimately, the vast majority of the population as more vaccines roll in.
In the National Assembly on Monday, Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony announced the same. He said that the country will be receiving 20,000 additional vaccines on Tuesday; 80,000 more on March 8, 2021; and 100,000 additional doses from the COVAX facility later in the month.
Apart from the 3,000 doses of vaccines received initially from Barbados and the expected doses from COVAX, additional allocation to come are being facilitated, thus far, by China and India.
“This is what is going to get us out of COVID-19,” Dr. Anthony stated.
The first COVID-19 vaccine was administered in Guyana on February 11, 2021, at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to Pharmacist, Brinnet Bernarai who works at the hospital.
It is estimated that about 22,000 health workers will initially receive vaccines. Meanwhile, a national group has been established to monitor the possible side effects from the vaccine which could be reactogenic or adverse — the latter being more serious.
The Ministry of Health also continues to inform the Guyanese public that in receiving the vaccine, persons experience symptoms but these are not serious enough to adversely affect their health. It takes about two weeks for a person’s full immune response to kick in.
However, according to the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, Guyana has not received any reports of adverse side effects as a result of taking the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The Ministry of Health has informed the public that taking the COVID-19 vaccine will not give persons immunity against the virus but will protect them from its adverse effects such as complications and disease.
