The remaining 12,000 jabs of a 100,000 consignment of Sinopharm jabs on Saturday arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
Last Wednesday, 88,000 doses of the Chinese-manufactured Sinopharm shots were delivered to Guyana – the first batch of the State purchase. Now that Guyana is in receipt of the full 100,000 tranche, it will be used to immunise 50,000 people.
The Health Ministry had already started distributing these shots to the various regions. In fact, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony had shared that because these vaccines do not require the ultra-cold storage, it is advantageous in the vaccine rollout to remote communities.
Sinopharm vaccines have shown to be about 79 per cent efficacious under clinical trials. It was used previously in Guyana’s vaccination campaign after 20,000 doses were donated by the Chinese Government.
So far, Guyana has been able to secure 62,400 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from COVAX with more to arrive until 20 per cent of the population is covered. There were donations of 3000 doses of AstraZeneca shots from Barbados, 20,000 Sinopharm doses from China and another 80,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India.
Government has procured 400,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccines from Dubai. Some 305,000 doses of this so far and the additional 95,000 is expected to arrive soon.
Through an African Union/Caricom Agreement, Guyana is procuring 148,000 doses of vaccines – a portion of which will include Johnson and Johnson single-dose vaccines.
In Guyana, over 234,000 persons from the adult population have taken their respective first doses while more than 112,000 have returned for their second doses. Currently, Sinopharm, AstraZeneca and Sputnik V jabs are being used.
In light of talks between the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the United States Government over the availability of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to the region, President Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday said Guyana’s share would be used specifically to immunise its children population.
Discussions between stakeholders are in the preliminary stage but he was optimistic that Guyana would benefit from the US allocation.
Over 1500 children were infected since the detection of the virus locally in March 2020. A breakdown this week showed that within the age group of one month to four years, 287 children were infected – comprising of 148 males and 139 females. Between the five to nine age group, there were 524 infections after 273 males and 251 females were infected. From 10 to 14, 342 males and 414 females tested positive, amounting to 756 persons.
“What I can say is that once it is Pfizer, I can tell you this policy now, it will go to the children, starting from 18 and below… Every single person that goes into the hospital to me is alarming, especially children… I’m seriously concerned and we’re monitoring it,” the Head of State was quoted as saying.
