MPs receive COVID-19 vaccines

Several Members of Parliament on Wednesday turned up at Parliament Buildings to receive their COVID-19 vaccines.

In keeping with the protocols established for the national vaccination programme, the recipients were provided information on the vaccine and had their concerns addressed before being vaccinated.

Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Manzoor Nadir expressed gratitude to the Government for securing the vaccines for the nation.   

“It is important that we tell our people that vaccination is something highly recommended and as Speaker, I want to be among the first also to be vaccinated. I feel that it’s more than necessary. It is not sufficient to talk the talk, but we need to do the walk. Today I am pleased to see quite a few Members of Parliament here,” he said.

To this end, the Speaker said the Government would soon be able to provide the vaccine to all Guyanese.

Meanwhile, Minister of Labour, Hon. Joseph Hamilton said vaccination will no doubt change the course of the pandemic in Guyana, and across the globe.

“Every Guyanese should utilise the opportunity to get vaccinated because we are being told by all of the medical experts that the vaccinated population would help to relieve us from this stress that we have had to live within Guyana and around the world,” he said.

Government MP Hon. Dr. Jennifer Westford agreed with these sentiments.

“The vaccine is like any other vaccine. It was normal. I didn’t feel when I got it… The registration clerk explained to us what the vaccine is about and how I am going to feel so I want to encourage every Guyanese to take your vaccines once it is available,” she said.

Former Prime Minister, Mr. Moses Nagamootoo along with his wife Mrs. Sita Nagamootoo were also vaccinated today. He told DPI that it is an opportunity to get ahead of the third wave of the disease, “particularly judging by what is going on our southern border. We need to protect ourselves, so I want to encourage others to do what I have done and other leaders to take the vaccine.

This gives confidence to our people that it is not the question of safety, but the question is one of protection and you are better off with the vaccine than if you did not.”

Government MPs Hon. Alister Charlie, Hon. Sheila Veersammy, Opposition MPs Hon. Khemraj Ramjattan and Hon. Geeta Chandan-Edmond were among those who were vaccinated.

On February 10, the Government received 3,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from Barbados and soon began its vaccination campaign. It then received a donation of 20,000 doses of Sinopharm from the People’s Republic of China and 80,000 of the AstraZeneca from India. 

The Government is currently awaiting a consignment of 104,000 vaccines through the COVAX mechanism.   It is also expecting another 149,000 doses under a CARICOM-African Union purchase agreement. Additionally, last weekend, His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali announced that Guyana has ordered 200,000 doses of the Sputnik vaccine and would be expecting its first shipment of 50,000 doses soon. After the first shipment, the Government expects to receive another 50,000 every two weeks until it has received the amount ordered.