Fourth shipment of Sputnik V vaccine expected next week

Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony says Guyana will receive its fourth shipment of the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia next week.

This means that the administration of second doses of the Sputnik V vaccine will be deferred, the Ministry said in a press release issued on Thursday evening. This is due to a delay in the shipment from the manufacturing country, Russia.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony

During Friday’s daily COVID-19 update, Dr. Anthony said like the AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines, the Sputnik V could be administered within 12 weeks of taking the first dose.

Initially, the Russian authorities had advised that the second doses of the vaccine should be administered after a four-week interval. However, it was communicated to the Ministry that the time period could be lengthened.

“During this week, they have written to us to say that you can extend that interval from four weeks to up to twelve weeks, so anytime between four to twelve weeks, you’re going to get that second dose.

So, while we are delayed, everyone who would have received their first dose of Sputnik would get their second dose. It wouldn’t happen, perhaps not on the fourth week interval, but certainly you will get it a little bit after because of this delay.”

Minister Anthony said the delay does not affect the Government’s vaccination campaign. He noted that persons desirous of receiving their first dose of the Sputnik V can still get their jabs.

“We have enough first dose right now to ensure that people who want first doses of this Sputnik vaccine can get those first doses.”

Those who are due for their second dose of either the AstraZeneca or Sinopharm vaccines can also receive theirs. Enough doses of both the AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines were set aside to ensure persons who received those would get their second shot.

“We don’t have AstraZeneca as first dose, and we don’t have Sinopharm as first dose, we have them as second dose so those persons who would have received their first dose can come and get their second dose,” he said.

Additionally, Guyana is expected to receive another consignment of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine from COVAX during the second week of June.

The Government continues to explore other avenues to procure vaccines, as the country works to achieve herd immunity.

Minister Anthony said people continue to respond positively to the Ministry’s vaccination campaign. So far, 194,749 persons have received their first dose. This amounts to about 40 per cent of the country’s adult population. As of May 27, 65,534 persons or 13.5 per cent of the adult population have been fully vaccinated.