Schedule for COVID-19 booster shots reveal by Health Minister

Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, on Monday outlined the schedule for booster shots in
relation to the various vaccines administered in Guyana.
Dr Anthony said that it is recommended that persons who took both doses of the Pfizer vaccine
should also take Pfizer as a booster shot, while those who took the Moderna vaccine could
complement it with a Moderna or Pfizer booster. He noted that for persons who took the Johnson
and Johnson vaccine, a booster shot of the Sinopharm vaccine is recommended, 52 days after the
dose.

Meanwhile, he stressed that persons who took the Sinopharm vaccine can take the same vaccine
as their booster shot. This should be done three to six months after the second jab. The minister
noted that persons who took the AstraZeneca vaccine can use either AstraZeneca or an mRNA
vaccine which would be Pfizer as a booster. This, Dr Anthony said, should be taken six months
after the second dose. He noted that with regards to Sputnik V, persons can take a booster shot of
the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, six months after the second dose.
The health minister said that the COVID-19 booster shot is now available to persons 18 years
and older, those with comorbidities and health care workers. “From today, we have made booster
doses available to anyone who is age 50 and above…and [those who] would have received their
two-dose regimen they are now entitled to get a booster, once after the second dose would have
been about six months or so,” Minister Anthony said. He continued, “So that is now available
plus if you have any comorbidities, if you are older than 18 and you have any comorbidities then
you can also get access to a booster shot.”
Minister Anthony in his COVID-19 update pointed out that persons 50 years and older, with or
without comorbidities can take the booster shot. He assured that health care workers will also
access the booster shot, as they are more at risk of contracting the COID-19 disease. Minister
Anthony said persons can go to anyone of the COVID-19 vaccination facilities to get their
booster shot. He stressed that vaccination cards will be required to record the dosage.
Dr Anthony disclosed that as of Sunday, 396, 042 or 77.2 percent of the adult population
received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine whereas 269, 791 or 52.6 percent received their
second dose. The health minister said for persons 12 to 17 years old, 28, 709 0r 39.4 percent took
the first dose and 19, 905 or 27.3 percent are now fully vaccinated.