27.5 per cent of adult population fully vaccinated – Minister Anthony

As a result of the Government’s proactive approach to vaccine procurement, to date more than 27.5 per cent of Guyana’s adult population is now fully immunised against COVID-19.

There are three types of vaccines currently being administered to combat Covid here, the Oxford-AstraZeneca, the Chinese Sinopharm and the Russian Sputnik V vaccines.

During Wednesday’s COVID-19 update, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony MP, said 248,970 persons or 51.1 per cent of Guyana’s adult population has received the first dose of a Covid vaccine while 133,987 persons have received their second jab.

Dr. Anthony noted that through the COVAX facility, Guyana was set to receive enough vaccines to inoculate 20 per cent of the population within a stipulated timeframe, but due to an increase in the global demand, there were delays.

“COVAX was hit with a number of challenges, including the source of the vaccine…

They didn’t have enough vaccines to supply the commitments that they would have made to countries… but nevertheless, they have been striving to give vaccines to countries around the world, especially the poorer countries and those who would have purchased vaccines through them.”

To date, Guyana has received 62,400 of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine through COVAX.

Minister Anthony said the Government purchased vaccines through other sources because it is committed to protecting the population from the deadly disease.

Some 244,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccines were bought along with 100,000 doses of Sinopharm and 34,000 doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

Guyana also received vaccines through donations from Barbados, China, India and the United States of America.