Pfizer vaccine now available to all Guyanese

GUYANESE 12 YEARS AND OLDER can now be inoculated with the US-manufactured
Pfizer vaccine Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony told the nation.
“As of this week, we are going to open up the use of the Pfizer to anyone who would like to get
the Pfizer vaccine,” he said.
Initially, only adolescents, pregnant and lactating women qualified to get the jab with the Pfizer
inoculant. With it now available for anyone, the health sector is also getting ready to immunise
children between 5 – 11 years old with the US-manufactured vaccine.
“We have started some amount of training of our staff, because this particular age group requires
a vaccine that is 1/3 (33 percent) of the current dose that we are giving. We have started that
training, we are expecting that during this week, we will complete that training,” Anthony
explained.
He said that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already greenlighted the
emergency use of Pfizer for the 5 – 11 age group. However, the authorities there are awaiting
approval of the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), before it can start being
administered. As soon as the USCDC paves the way for the use of the vaccine in children 5-11
years, the Guyanese Government Analyst Food and Drug Department will approve its use in
Guyana.
During the trial phase, the immune response of the Pfizer vaccine in children 5-11 years was
comparable to those in the 12 to 25 age group.
The government minister reiterated his appealed for local adults to take the Covid jab and
also to grant approval for their children to also be protected against the rampaging virus
which has so far killed 5 million globally and 925 in Guyana.