East Bank residents urge public to get Covid vaccine

– to reach for herd immunity

East Bank resident who have received their first COVID-19 vaccines are urging others to capitalise on the opportunity to get immunised. To date, over 67,524 persons have received their first COVID-19 jabs.

On Tuesday, persons turned out in their numbers at vaccination sites at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, Eccles Health Centre and Herstelling Health Centre to get inoculated.

In an invited comment, Ms. Althea Hutson told DPI that the public needs to get vaccinated to create herd immunity. 

“I want to say that it’s important for us to get out here and get our vaccine because that’s the only way that we can help each other.”

Mr. Harold Shephard made a special appeal to persons in the 40-year age range to get their vaccines.  

“I want to encourage all young persons to come out and take this vaccine because obviously, we want our society to go back the way that we’re accustom to. So, I believe is the best thing to do,” he said.

Mr. Puran Singh also noted that once inoculated, a person can travel with his or her vaccination card. “Why I am taking this is fuh safety, fuh meh life and meh children dem, if a want to travel a got this to travel with,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ms. Veraadie Persaud said she is grateful to the President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali-Government for the efforts being made to ensure that citizens have access to vaccines.

“I come to take the vaccine and encourage others to come and take it, and I thank the Government for what [the President] is doing, and God must bless he and all the nurses and everybody.”

Personnel from the Guyana Defence Force were observed assisting with the documentation and other processes, as the Government ramps up vaccination countrywide.

Additionally, the administration continues to take steps to procure more vaccines.   While the second batch of the Sputnik V vaccine Guyana procured from Russia arrived on Monday, discussions are ongoing to obtain more vaccines. Guyana is also awaiting another shipment of vaccines through the COVAX facility.