APNU/AFC MP throws support behind COVID-19 vaccination programme

…says vaccines are a “powerful and protective health tool”

Parliamentary Opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition has supported the move to use COVID-19 vaccines, regarding them as the most effective tool to exit this deadly pandemic.
Shadow Health Minister, Dr Karen Cummings in a statement said that the vaccines are effective in preventing serious infections and deaths.
This is even more important with the rise of deadlier variants, and she expressed that it is Government’s responsibility to make these shots available.
“We in the APNU/AFC coalition continue to reiterate that vaccines provide a powerful and effective public health tool to prevent serious infections, hospitalisations and deaths. We restate that the PPP regime must ensure that vaccines are accessible to every Guyanese… This Delta variant seems to be the predominant variant of concern owing to how easily it is transmitted,” said Cummings.

Guyana currently has enough vaccines for the adult and adolescent population and the Health Ministry has been encouraging persons to visit the various vaccine sites to get immunised.
The Opposition has been giving mixed signals since the start of the Government’s vaccination campaign, and only recently, an APNU/AFC Member of Parliament told a conference that herbal remedy is the way to go in protecting against COVID-19.
Other members of the Opposition are spearheading several protests against the vaccination campaign, particularly in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). However, a majority of its senior members have taken the vaccine.

“Political mischief”
In response, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has labelled these actions as “political mischief”, aimed at tarnishing the work of the Ministry and Government.
“They are just a bunch of people who are trying to make political mischief. You have some anti-vaxxers in Region 10 that are clutching at anything that they can do to just tarnish the work that the staff is doing, in terms of vaccination and managing COVID-19. Unfortunately, this type of political mischief would create a lot of hesitancy in people’s mind and if they don’t get vaccinated, they would be at a higher risk of getting infection, getting sick and some persons will die,” said Dr Anthony on Monday.
He went on to add that the current pandemic requires collaborative effort between stakeholders, if the common intention is to keep people safe.
“It’s unfortunate that an issue where we should all have a common purpose in keeping people safe, keeping people protected, that this is now being used as an occasion to have and to spread political mischief. I would urge persons who are doing so to desist from doing that.”
Over the last week, 10 persons were hospitalised in Region 10 – which continues to lag behind in the vaccine campaign. The Minister said there is adequate resources at the regional hospital complex to handle infections.
“They have now been discharged because they’re feeling much better. We have adequate medication, equipment, oxygen and all those things to manage those patients. If they become more critical, then we move them from that hospital across to the Ocean View facility and that’s what we have been doing.” (G12)