– The Health Minister says that the second dose of the vaccine is guaranteed for everyone
– 86,601 people have been vaccinated so far
By Vishani Ragobeer
The largest shipment of COVID-19 vaccines, approximately 83,000 doses of Sputnik V Russian vaccine, arrived at Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on Monday morning.
Monday’s shipment is the third set of Sputnik V vaccines the country has received, after the government succeeded in securing a 400,000 vaccine dose acquisition deal, which is given in two components at 200,000 doses the one. Previously, Guyana received a total of 55,000 doses of the Russian vaccine.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali recently reported that the country is paying US $ 4M (or more than G $ 800M) for 200,000 doses of the Sputnik V.
This Sputnik V vaccine, like the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines that Guyana has been using in its introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine, comes in two doses. While the second dose of the AstraZeneca and the Sinopharm is identical to the first, the second dose of the Sputnik V vaccine differs from the first, according to Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony.
During his daily COVID-19 update on Monday, he explained that the first dose of the Sputnik V is called Component One, while the second is called Component Two. To be fully vaccinated with this vaccine, an individual must receive the first and second doses.
until it arrives at a cold storage facility (Ministry of Health photos)
“With these two components, we will be able to fully vaccinate 200,000 people,” the minister said. He also assured members of the public that when people are ready to receive their second dose, which would be some 28 days after their first ‘injection’, the Component Two vaccines will be available.
“We’ve received the first shipment of those first doses and today; we will receive 43,000 of the first dose to supplement what we have already received as a first dose, and we will receive 40,000 of the second dose, so that those individuals who would need a second dose will receive the second doses that’s ready, “he said on Monday before the vaccines arrived.
Dr. Anthony also expected that another batch of the second dose of vaccines in the country is expected soon. As these vaccines arrive, they will be distributed nationwide.
These 83,000 vaccines mean Guyana has received a total of 265,000 vaccine doses. Earlier, 3,000 Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines were received by Barbados, after that country received a donation from India; 20,000 Sinopharm doses were received as a gift from China; another 80,000 AstraZeneca vaccines were received from India; 55,000 Sputnik V vaccines were received in two vessels, and 24,000 AstraZeneca vaccines were also received through the COVAX facility.
And on Monday, the Health Minister announced that 86,601 people across Guyana had received their first dose of one of the three vaccines throughout Guyana. Last Friday, Guyana began vaccinating all individuals aged 18 and over, marking a significant breakthrough in the introduction of local vaccinations.
Guyana has more vaccines available from Russia through the acquisition deal made. In addition, in the initial distribution phase, the COVAX facility, which is a global inter-institutional effort aimed at promoting vaccine equity, promised 100,800 vaccine doses to Guyana. With that facility only distributing 24,000 doses to Guyana so far, the country is expected to receive another 76,800 doses by May.
As Guyana waited for those vaccines, Dr. confirmed. Anthony also stated that Guyana would be interested in ordering more vaccines from Russian in order to reach the local target of vaccinating the adult population by the end of the year.