Govt working to make Sputnik V 2nd dose available – Health Minister assures

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony has again assured that Government is working to ensure that the Sputnik V second doses are available in a timely manner.
The Health Minister explained that as soon as the second doses of Sputnik V arrive in Guyana, the population will be informed immediately. The Russian-manufactured vaccines have an interval of four to twelve weeks between doses.
In the same breath, he noted that persons who have received their first Sinopharm and AstraZeneca vaccines were urged to return for the last shot.
“In terms of Sputnik V, we have first dose that is available and we are working to make sure that we get second doses in as early as possible. As soon as we get that, we are going to make those announcements so that people can come and get their doses Sputnik V, but those who received the AstraZeneca and Sinopharm and are now due for their second dose, I want to appeal to them to come to one of our clinics and get their second dose.”

On May 27, the Health Ministry had announced that no second doses of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines are available following a delay in supplies. To date, the country remains without second doses.
But Minister Anthony speculated that the long delay in shipment could be due to global events, particularly spikes in COVID-19 cases in Russia.
Government had first ordered 400,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine – 200,000 first doses and 200,000 second doses. From that, Guyana has already received the 200,000 first doses as well as 61,000 of the second doses.
The country then placed a second order for 86,000 doses, comprising of 43,000 first doses and 43,000 second doses. However, while all of the first doses from this second order were received, none of the second doses were delivered. As such, in total, the country is still awaiting the arrival of second doses from both purchase orders, amounting to a total of 182,000 doses.
His call for persons to get completely immunised comes at a time when the deadly Delta variant is circulating in a host of countries. According to the Minister, the only way to protect one’s self is by taking both doses.
As of present, 237, 882 persons or 48.9 per cent of the adult population have taken their first doses. Some 118,126 or 24.3 per cent have already returned for their second shot.
“With 24.3 per cent of our adult population now being fully immunised, I think we’re making steps in the right direction. However, we still have a far way to go because one of the things that everybody has been talking about recently is the circulation of the delta variant of the coronavirus. Globally, this is now becoming a dominant strain of the virus and the only way that you can protect yourself effectively is if you have both doses of the vaccine,” the Minister outlined.