Booster shot uptake now picking up – Health Minister

The administration of COVID-19 booster shots is now improving across the regions, as fully vaccinated persons are now taking the jabs.
Speaking on vaccination during Thursday’s COVID-19 update, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony shared that almost 2,000 booster shots have been administered. This indicates improvement from the low uptake recorded last week.
“For the booster dose, we’re now at 1,914…I think it’s now picking up. A lot of people are now coming forward now. Initially, it started out very slow, and a couple of the regions didn’t start their booster campaign on time, but I think that’s getting much better now,” Dr Anthony has explained.
Guyana’s immunisation campaign has seen the usage of Pfizer, Sputnik V, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and J&J vaccines. The Health Minister has reiterated that a person immunised with Sputnik V can take the Johnson and Johnson vaccine as their booster dose. Meanwhile, those with Pfizer and Sinopharm are required to take the same vaccines respectively. Since Moderna booster shots are unavailable, Pfizer doses can work. For the AstraZeneca-immunised subset, a recommended Pfizer shot can also be taken. These shots are to be taken six months after. Persons completely immunised with Johnson and Johnson vaccines can get the same vaccine as a booster dose two months after.
Along with persons 50 years and older, healthcare workers and persons with comorbid conditions are eligible for the booster jab.
Comorbid conditions include cancer, cerebrovascular diseases, chronic kidney diseases, chronic lung diseases, chronic liver diseases, diabetes, Down Syndrome, heart conditions, HIV, mental health disorders, neurological conditions, obesity, pregnancy, sickle cell anaemia, tuberculosis, solid organ transplant patients, smokers, or those with substance use disorder.
Asked whether the age eligibility would be dropped in light of the emergence of new variants, the Minister posited, “Right now, we’re considering various options.”
With the circulation of the Omicron variant and the potential threats which it may bring, people are being asked to protect themselves with vaccines, and by extension booster doses. Some of the better-known variants, such as Delta, have been twice as infectious. Others that were detected include Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, Lambda and Mu.
Guyana started offering the booster shots last week. Authorities arrived at this decision after compelling data suggested that six months after the first dose, immunity starts to wane. To avoid the chance of breakthrough infections or risk compromised protection, the booster shot was mulled.
Vaccination numbers have shown that 402,142 adults, or 78.4 per cent of that demographic, have taken a first dose of the vaccine. Adults who have taken the second dose of a vaccine are numbered at 280,637, or 54.7 per cent. Children in the 12-to-17 age group continue to have a low uptake, with just 20,539 persons, or 28.2 per cent of that demographic, having taken the jab.