Adolescents’ vaccination campaign: Over 200 secondary school students in Reg 2 take first jab

Over 200 students between the ages of 12 and 18 have taken their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine during the rollout of the adolescents’ vaccination campaign at the Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary School in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
To facilitate the rollout of this vaccine, parents and guardians were required to complete consent forms in order for their children to be administered the vaccine leading up to the reopening of schools on Monday.

Regional Education Officer (REDO) Nichole Matthew encouraged the parents to take their children to be immunised in order for them to remain safe. “Students should not fight the virus… they should take the vaccination and live,” she said.
While the process was slow, Regional Health Officer Dr Ranjeev Singh called on the major stakeholders to play their part, while reiterating that students should be vaccinated before returning to the classrooms.
Further, Dr Singh said the region’s vaccination team is aiming to immunise most of the students before Tuesday, and added that the vaccination programme would be intensified in the region by targeting children 12 years and older, or adults living with chronic illness.
Several sites have been earmarked for students to visit in order to receive their jabs over the next few days. These include Aurora Primary and Secondary School on September 4; Johanna Cecelia Secondary and Charity Secondary on Monday; 8th of May Secondary on Tuesday, September 7; and Kabakaburi Primary School on Wednesday, September 8. The initiative will commence at 9:00h and will end at 14:30h.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the students were very excited to take their first shot of the vaccine.
A parent, Reshma Jaigobin, related that she signed the form for her daughter to take the vaccine because the vaccine would not only protect her child, but also keep other children safe by eliminating the spread of the virus, and would also build her child’s immune system.

“I want my daughter to continue her schooling… They are home so long and are not gaining knowledge (as) before. So, I signed the form because, with the reopening of school soon, there will be less risk for her contracting the deadly virus. I am encouraging other parents to think the same and take their children to be immunised and live a long, healthy and safe life,” Jaigobin added.
Only last week, Guyana received 146,000 doses of the vaccine. This campaign was launched at St Stanislaus College, after which it was taken to MovieTowne, where thousands of children received their jabs. The campaign was subsequently held at the St Joseph High School.
Schools are expected to be reopened on Monday on a rotational basis for secondary school children.