Report on regional COVID-19 recovery: World Bank pegs vaccine hesitancy rates in Guyana at 18%

…strident efforts already in place to encourage vaccination – Minister

The World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have pegged COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rates in Guyana at around 18 per cent, above the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) regional average cited in the report.
These statistics are contained in their latest report, ‘An Uneven Recovery: The impact of COVID-19 on Latin America and the Caribbean”, which saw the World Bank conducting a survey of 24 countries in the LAC region, sampling from populations aged 18 years and over, and with telephone access.
According to the report, vaccination rates have improved significantly in the region, but hesitancy to get vaccinated is still a concern, particularly in various countries in the Caribbean. On average, eight percent of respondents across the region do not plan to get vaccinated.
In Guyana, the report suggests that based on the persons surveyed, that figure is approximately 18 per cent, while around 47 per cent have been vaccinated, and the remainder are unvaccinated but are awaiting the opportunity to get their vaccines.

“Among the unvaccinated, more than half state that their unwillingness derives from a lack of trust and a concern with the effectiveness of the vaccine. Vaccination hesitancy is particularly high among rural households and individuals with lower levels of education. Within the region, people in the Caribbean show the highest levels of vaccination hesitancy.
“Close to 60 percent of respondents in Haiti are reluctant to get vaccinated, followed by Jamaica and St. Lucia at 50 percent and 43 percent respectively. These are all countries where the vaccination campaign has progressed slowly, particularly in Haiti. Much remains to be done in these cases to increase knowledge about the merits of getting vaccinated,” the report states.

Encouraged vaccination
When this publication made contact with Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony, he noted that, for over a year, the Government has been making strident efforts to encourage persons to get vaccinated. And while there are still those who hold out, Dr. Anthony said, Guyana’s vaccination numbers, particularly among adults, are nevertheless encouraging.

“(We have) 175 vaccination sites, and we’ve been giving vaccines for the longest while… and we do have relatively high vaccination rates, especially among adults… For the last year, we have been talking about the reason why people should be vaccinated,” the Minister said.
In Guyana, the latest available statistics locally say that among those 18 years and older, 401,445 first doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, bringing the total percentage of vaccinated adults to 78.3 per cent. Meanwhile, 279,658 second doses have been administered, a 54.5 per cent rate.
On November 26, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the variant B.1.1.529 as a variant of concern, named Omicron on the advice of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE).
This decision was based on the evidence presented to the TAG-VE that Omicron has several mutations that may have an impact on how it behaves; for instance, how easily it spreads, or the severity of illness it causes.
Since the emergence of the new Omicron variant and new threats which it brings, Minister Anthony has said that the Health authorities are looking at the possibility of sending samples to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) or the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for genomic sequencing.
If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline: 231-1166, 226-7480, or 624-6674 immediately, or visit us at www.health.gov.gy
All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures, which emphasize: the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good hand-hygiene. (G3)