Minister Anthony – Parents, teachers need to encourage students to get vaccinated

A passionate appeal has been made to parents and teachers to encourage children between the
ages of 12 – 17 years to get vaccinated, as the Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, disclosed that
there continues to be a low percentage of vaccination rate among this age cohort.
Dr. Anthony made the call during the daily COVID-19 update on Monday. “We have been
administering the Pfizer vaccine for the 12 to 17 age group and again, we seem to have hit a
peak…,” he said. He continued, “I think parents, teachers, everybody needs to encourage
students to get vaccinated, get both doses of the vaccine. Later on, we will introduce the booster
for them also to get boosted.”
The minister pointed out that children within the 12 to 17 age group “needs to up” the
vaccination rate for both first and second doses. Dr. Anthony noted that approximately 30, 410 or
41.7 per cent of that age cohort took the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine with 21, 740 or 29.8 per
cent receiving both doses. The health minister stressed that the number of hospitalised cases has
increased over the last few days. He said 40 persons are currently hospitalised, with two persons
being below the age of 18. “In terms of hospitalization, the numbers have gone up over the
recent couple of days, so we are now at 40 persons in hospital with 24 of them at the Ocean
View hospital and we have six of those persons in the ICU,” Minister Anthony said.
He continued, “At Ocean View we have two persons who are below the age of 18.”
Additionally, the minister said that Guyana is also considering to acquire booster shots for
persons 16 years and older. “They have considered [in the United States] that persons 16 years
and older can get the booster dose so that’s something that is active, under active consideration
here in Guyana,” Minister Anthony explained.
Dr Anthony continues to appeal to students to follow all COVID-19 guidelines and to get fully
vaccinated in order to protect themselves on their return to school.