Guyana fully prepared for the COVID-19 Pandemic Vaccination Phase
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By Pat Dial
Kaieteur News – When the Coronavirus hit the world in early 2020, no one could have imagined that his own country and the world would immediately become embroiled in a pandemic. People knew about the smallpox pandemic, which killed over half the American Amerindian population in the early years of the Spanish conquest and destroyed their civilization. Of course, there was the Black Death of Medieval Europe that killed more than half the population with deep social, economic and political effects or the Spanish Flu over a century ago that killed over 10 million people.
The emergence of a pandemic in the 21st century was unimaginable.
The COVID-19 pandemic is being dealt with in a different way to a past pandemic. Members of the world scientific community communicated with each other and exchanged information. Statistical data relating to the depredations were produced, the locks of the world economies were operated and a decision to defeat the pandemic was scientific. The loss of life, compared to the pandemics of the past, was moderate.
But after several months with no cure or vaccines found, people became pessimistic and the pandemic became more frightening. In the third quarter of the year, however, information began to deceive that effective vaccines were being developed and that the world was feeling a spark of relief.
By November, three companies – Pfizer, Moderna and Astrazenica / Oxford – were ready to release tens of millions of effective vaccines on the market.
The regulators could not accept the word of the pharmacy companies without doing their own research and evaluations. They have temporarily allowed these vaccines to be on the market. Meanwhile, Russia has been using their Sputnik vaccine nationwide.
There was a rush to secure the vaccines and the richer and developed countries would be monopoly to the disadvantage of the poorest countries.
Several international bodies have come into the picture, blocked this scenario, and are trying to ensure that developing countries get timely supplies of the vaccines.
The unit, which is responsible for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana, is under the control of Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony.
Guyana is fortunate to have such dedicated, professional, well-informed and respected leadership in this field. Dr. Anthony, with typical foresight, has been working to secure vaccines in a highly competitive milieu.
Guyana has submitted to COVAX and has signed the terms of agreement to confirm its inclusion in the COVAX facility. COVAX is an organization made up of the World Health Organization (WHO) and other major international organizations working to ensure fair access and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
In the words of Dr. Anthony: “We have started working with COVAX and have presented information on potential vaccine candidates and our options.”
With equal foresight, Guyana has also enlisted the help of the group that includes WHO, UNICEF and GAVI (the Vaccine Alliance) and other partners to help Guyana begin the COVID-19 vaccinations.
Such support would include customizable guides, equipment, training and advocacy material.
On the international scene, President Irfaan Ali has reinforced Guyana’s stance when addressing the 31st Special Session of the UN General Assembly.
In his speech, he joined, “The United Nations must continue to be at the forefront – as it has been for the past eight months – in piloting the international rollout of mass immunization for developing countries.”
Guyana has been moving ahead creatively: It has already appointed a National Vaccine Task Force under the chairmanship of Dr. Anthony. The Task Force comprises a number of experts and persons from the public as well as the private health sector, University of Guyana, Shared Services and other key stakeholders.
The Task Force has already begun work on a draft operations plan: They have already begun to develop a training manual for the administration of COVID-19 vaccines.
They have already started work on the cold chain and procuring refrigerators where the vaccines would be stored. Many health centers would be expanded to create sufficient space.
They work on the priority list of who and when they receive the vaccine, with the first group being frontline health workers and high-risk patients.
With his own preparations and efforts, Guyana would be able to make the most of the external assistance it receives.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.)