Guyana receives almost 29,000 doses of J&J vaccine

Guyana on Friday received a donation of 28,800 doses of the Jannsen Johnson & Johnson vaccine from the Government of Spain, through COVAX.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, expressed gratitude to the Spanish Government, COVAX and all countries that have contributed along the way.
“We are very lucky in Guyana, to be able to access so many vaccines and through COVAX, we have had a very good partnership and over the last couple of months we have benefitted tremendously from COVAX in getting vaccines to Guyana,” Dr Anthony said.

Through COVAX, Guyana has benefitted from donations of AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Minister Anthony noted that through the donations and vaccines purchased by the Government, vaccination has been made available for everyone in Guyana.
Currently, the first dose vaccination rate is approximately 81 per cent, while second dose is close to 60 per cent.
“We want to encourage everyone that they go and get their booster doses. We have been a little short of Johnson & Johnson, so this comes really at a very appropriate time. I think this week I was told we had about 200 doses in Georgetown, and we have some 2000 doses out in the region. So, we were very much looking forward to getting this particular shipment of vaccines, and now that it has arrived, I’m sure it would boost our effort to make sure that we get more vaccines out, especially the booster doses to people who need them,” Dr Anthony said.
The Minister also noted that compared to the holiday period when there were about 80 vaccines given a day, this has now improved to some 3000 daily.
This is a positive sign, he said, as he encouraged persons to get vaccinated, especially children between the ages of 12-17.
Meanwhile, Evelina Melbarzde, Deputy Ambassador of the European Union, who also represented the Ambassador of Spain, resident in Trinidad, Fernando Nogales Alvarez, noted that Spain is one of the most active donors in the region.
“It’s very important that there is such a great solidarity and such support for Guyana,” she noted. She also urged persons to get vaccinated.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is now a two-dose regimen and is also being used as a booster shot. Also present at the handing over was PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr Luis Cardina; United Nations Resident Coordinator, Yesim OrucUnited States Ambassador; Sarah-Ann Lynch; Maternal and Child Health Officer and National Immunisation Manager at the Ministry of Health, Dr Oneka Scott among others.