Guyana has enough vaccines to achieve herd immunity

GUYANA HAS SUFFICIENT VACCINES to help achieve herd immunity Health
Minister, Dr Frank Anthony said.
Anthony said with the Delta variant circulating, Guyana wants to fully immunise at least 90 per
cent of its population to achieve the goal.
Speaking on his daily Covid-19 update Friday the minister confirmed there are adequate amounts
of Astra Zeneca, Sinopharm, Sputnik V, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson inoculants to help
frustrate the spread of the deadly virus here.
“With AstraZeneca we have given most of the first doses and we have about 55, 000 or so
persons who need to get their second dose, so we need to get those second doses (in peoples
arms). In terms of Sinopharm, we have adequate vaccines for both first and second doses, and
Sputnik V, we have first and second doses currently available, J&J, as you know it’s one dose so
we have those available as well,” the minister said.
He said the country also has enough doses of the Pfizer vaccine which is being administered to
children between the ages of 12 and 18, along with pregnant and lactating women. The minister
confirmed that the country’s vaccination rate is continuing to climb.
Currently 376,436 persons or 73.4 percent of the adult population have received their first dose
of the vaccine while 236,238 persons or 46 percent of the adult population are fully immunised.
He said in Region Four, the most populated Region in Guyana, 82 per cent of the population
received a first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. However, there is still need to increase.
“As you would see the immunisation rate (is going) up. (So) you will see a fall-off in terms of
the hospitalisation and deaths as we increase the numbers of persons being vaccinated in Region
Four,” Anthony said.

He implored those regions lagging behind to up their vaccination rates quickly.
Regarding Region One, he said 79.5 per cent of the population has had a first dose of the
vaccine, and Region Two, 59.6 per cent. In Region Three, some 70.1 per cent have taken the jab,
while in Region Five it is calculated at 72.4 per cent. In Region Six it is slightly higher at 73.8
per cent while Region Seven is a tad behind at 72.4 per cent. The mining area of Region Eight is
trailing them with 45.4 per cent of the residents already rolled up the sleeves.
Region Nine is among the highfliers with a 73.6 per cent vaccination rate.
Region Ten has significant hurdles to overcome with only a paltry 33 percent of the population
inoculated.
“As you can see in Region 10, we are really lagging behind because they have only completed
about 33.1 percent of the region’s population. If we hope to get to herd immunity in that region,
then we have to increase this to at least 90 percent. Again, Region Eight is also lagging behind
they are at 45.4 per cent and again if we want to be at herd immunity its about 90 percent,
Region Two is also lagging behind and they are 59.6 per cent and again if we are looking at
getting herd immunity against Delta its about 90 per cent of the population, so, we have a far
way to go in terms of vaccinating especially in these three regions,” Minister Anthony added.
The health ministry is also expecting more doses of Sputnik V, AstraZeneca and Pfizer
vaccines in the coming weeks, Minister Anthony disclosed.