ECD, EBD COVID-19 vaccine drive-thrus this weekend

The Health Ministry has recorded successes in its vaccine drive-thru efforts within recent weeks, and is planning similar initiatives for both the East Coast and East Bank Demerara this weekend.
The vaccine drive-thru will be operational from 09:00h to 16:00h on both Saturday and Sunday at the Movietowne parking lot at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara. At the National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara, the exercise will run from 09:00h to 18:00h on both Saturday and Sunday.
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony noted during Thursday’s COVID-19 update that mobile units would also be on site to cater to passers-by. The drive-thru setup is coordinated to incorporate the vaccination steps in which persons can be immunised without leaving their vehicles. Persons who had utilised this system within recent weeks have lauded its efficiency.
“Those persons who haven’t gotten their vaccines and would like to come at the drive-thru, you can do so. Normally, while we would say it’s a drive-thru, there are also people who walk through, so if there are persons who want to come and get their vaccines, we will be able to get them their vaccines.
“Whether you walk or drive, we will make arrangements for you to get that vaccine,” Dr Anthony has informed.

The decision to continue this exercise, he said, has stemmed from a resounding response during the inaugural drive-thru, and other such exercises that followed, which saw an excess of 1000 persons each day.
In Guyana, 215,729 persons have taken their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. From this number, 81,761 persons, or 16.8 percent, have already returned for the second dose. The health system has enough first doses, and persons have been encouraged to get immunised if they have not so done as yet.
“Right now, we’re giving the Sputnik V first dose. We’re also giving Sinopharm first dose. So, any one of those two vaccines you can get them. We also have a lot of people who are now due for their second dose vaccine. Many of them would have received their AstraZeneca vaccine earlier in the vaccination process, and we’re asking them to come forward and get their second dose,” the Minister has added.
Dr Anthony has reminded that there has been no case of hospitalisation or death from the virus among the immunised subset of people. He has also reiterated that both doses are needed to effectively protect against the novel disease.
“Persons who have been fully vaccinated, we have not seen them coming to the hospital. We have not seen them coming to the ICU, and we have not had a single COVID-19 death of persons who have been fully vaccinated. I think this is an incentive to get people to come out and get their vaccinations…
“Again, for you to get the full benefit of the vaccine, you have to come back and get your second dose. While we’re happy with large numbers for first dose, we wouldn’t get the full benefit unless people come back and get their second dose,” he admonished. (G12)