1100 doses of Moderna vaccine donated by US group – Health Minister

− already used to immunise over 500 healthcare workers, members of public

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has disclosed that the shipment of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines that arrived in Guyana earlier this month were donations from a United States-based non-profit organisation.
The batch of the US-made jabs arrived in Guyana on July 3 and there were no explanations as to whom they were for.
However, during Friday’s COVID-19 update, the Health Minister was asked about the Moderna vaccines and revealed that it was a “small donation” from a US group.

According to Dr Anthony, the 1100 doses were used to inoculate approximately 550 persons. He said that first doses of US-based vaccine have already been administered to healthcare workers as well as members of the public.
“When we received them, we first of all offered them to the healthcare workers in the system – those who have not been vaccinated as yet. Some of them accepted and got vaccinated, and then whatever remained we give it out to the general public… we’ve been able to use it all out. Basically, we’ve split the doses in two… So, within a day, I think, we were able to give out all the first dose. So now, those persons who received their first dose, they will get their second dose shortly,” the Health Minister noted.
The Moderna jab is a mRNA vaccine, a new type of vaccine that does not use live virus to trigger an immune response, and is manufactured by US pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, Moderna Inc.
The vaccine is said to have a 94.1 per cent efficacy, and is a two-dose series to be taken 28 days apart.
Recent reports state that the Moderna jab is highly effective against alpha and beta variants.
Currently, the Guyana Government is rolling out its COVID-19 vaccination campaign across the country to persons 18 years and older using the AstraZeneca/Oxford, Sputnik V and Sinopharm jabs. To date, some 241,680 persons (49.6 per cent) have received their first dose vaccine, while approximately 126,620 adult persons (26 per cent) are fully vaccinated against the deadly virus.
President Dr Irfaan Ali had previously disclosed that his Administration had approached the US Government directly as well as the various manufacturers in the US to access the COVID-19 vaccines being used there. But Guyana was told that the vaccines will not be available until another year or so.
But back in February, Minister Anthony told the National Assembly that Guyana is likely to get Moderna and Pfizer vaccines through arrangements with the African Union.
However, the Union has so far facilitated the purchase of some 150,000 single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccines, another US-made jab. In fact, Guyana has already paid US$36,000 as a down payment to the Union for the jabs under an agreement between the African Union and the Caribbean Community (Caricom).
Meanwhile, the US Government has since committed some 7 million doses from its existing federal stockpiles of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines to the Latin America and the Caribbean region as part of its global pledge. This is as Caricom is currently in talks with the US over the availability of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to the region.
President Ali, nevertheless, has promised that once Guyana receives its share of the Pfizer jab then they will be used specifically to immunise its children population.
“I can’t say what is coming. I know that we are in discussion at Caricom with the US. The US has committed to giving vaccines to the region… What I can say is that once it is Pfizer, I can tell you this policy now, it will go to the children, starting from 18 and below,” the Head of State told reporters on the side lines of an event two weeks ago.
According to the Head of State, while he is unsure about the amount of jabs the country will receive under this arrangement, he is hopeful that it will “be substantial for Guyana”.
“Let us say that we get Pfizer through the US opportunity and we roll out Pfizer for those 18 and below and we can capture the whole cohort, population for secondary schools that will be exceedingly good for us,” the President stated.
Earlier that day on July 2, Minister Anthony had revealed that since March 2020, some 1567 children under the age of 14 have been diagnosed with COVID-19. This figure has increased.
A research from a 2000-plus sample size in 2020 had shown that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 100 per cent effective in preventing the COVID-19 virus in children ages 12 through 15.
In late 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed emergency use of the vaccine from age 16. This year the vaccine was given to children in the US from ages 12 to 15.