BREAKING -Plan unveiled to vaccinate all Guyanese before year end

ALL GUYANESE SHOULD BE VACCINATED for protection against the deadly COVID-19
virus by the ending of this year, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo told a news conference
earlier today.
“You may have heard about our efforts to source vaccines and we are hoping although it would
be purely on a voluntary basis, but we are hoping that before the end of the year that all
Guyanese can be vaccinated,” Jagdeo told journalists at the news conference held at the Arthur
Chung Convention Centre, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
He told reporters that the government is working aggressively to address the deadly pandemic
which has killed more than two million worldwide and 181 in Guyana. There were also 706
cases of the contagious and deadly virus in the 216,000 Km 2 former British colony.
Jagdeo said resources have been identified in the 2021 budget to combat the costly viral spread.
“We don’t have a choice, we must get this done so all efforts are being made in that regard,”
Vice President Jagdeo said.
He said the administration was “hoping to have this (done) much earlier. It is going to be costly
and it will take a lot of effort, but we have to do this,” he emphasised.
The government has a multi-prong plan to get vaccines according to Jagdeo and Health Minister,
Dr. Frank Anthony. Through the COVAX mechanism, the country will source the AstraZeneca
vaccine already used in India and several European countries.
Then they are in negotiations to acquire some 20,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine from the Government
of China. In addition, according to a pact with the CARICOM-African Union, the country will be purchasing
140,000 doses of additional COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Anthony also told the nation recently, that the Irfaan Ali Government is trying to secure vaccines from
India and Russia.

According to the inoculation plan, everyone will have a thorough medical check before receiving the vaccine.
Embedded also in the immunisation strategy is a decision by the Health Ministry for follow-up care.
“Our staff has been trained, and they will talk to persons who are coming for vaccination so that those persons
understand which vaccine they are getting and what are the possible side effects,” Anthony was quoted saying
in a Department of Public Information (DPI) release.
Meanwhile, Jagdeo promised NO INCREASE IN TAXES in the 2021 budget. Also, several
campaign promises made during the lead up to the 2020 elections will materialise in the fiscal
package, Jagdeo assured.
This year’s budget will help accelerate capital projects and other major transformational schemes
in the private sector with the aim of creating more jobs, improving income, enhancing welfare,
and diversifying the economy.
“Energy will be crucial, so this is a major sector, we have really gone after this, so a lot of
my time has been spent on this going after this looking at moving this forward,” Jagdeo
said.