Vaccine hesitancy causing low COVID jab in Region Nine

VICE CHAIRMAN OF UPPER TAKUTU/UPPER ESSEQUIBO (REGION NINE)
BERTIE XAVIER BLAMED VACCINE HESITANCY for the low uptake of the COVID-19
jab among the 24,200 residents.
So far, 8,482 residents have received the vaccine, leaving a whopping 15, 730 exposed to the
vagaries of the deadly virus first detected in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019.
Since then, some 3.7 million persons have died worldwide from the contagious virus, with 417 of
them being Guyanese.
Region Nine Vice-Chairman Xavier is anxious for a national return to normalcy but this he noted
rests on Upper Takutu – Upper Essequibo fulfilling its vital role despite hesitancy among many
residents for a variety of reasons ranging from religious doctrines to myths.
“Everybody has his/her own reasons and options why they do not want to take the vaccines. I
have heard some being religious reasons (and) some have said that it’s the mark of the Beast. We
have had stories that they are being vaccinated by microchips and…this has resulted in some
persons opting not to take the vaccines and this may be the main reason why we have only 35
percent so far,” Xavier opined.
While myths and misinformation help spur the hesitancy among the Region Nine population,
universally, researchers have also cited such factors such as complacency, convenience and
confidence. Scientific investigators also noted that while communication is not a specific factor, if it’s not
properly managed, is poor or inadequate “it can negatively influence vaccine uptake and contribute to
vaccine hesitancy. Poor quality services of any type, including poor communication, can undermine
acceptance”.
VC Xavier is confident that with renewed public relations (PR) efforts and aggressive education
outreaches vaccination figures will spike. Nevertheless, regional authorities will have to counter-

strategies to overcome anecdotes, which, so far, seem to be vanquishing scientifically-sound
facts.
“We have several campaigns that are being executed to aid in increasing the numbers. As tests
are being done in the riverine areas, we are engaging in the vaccination activity at the same time
and at the end of the testing we would urge the residents to take their vaccines and some would
have agreed. What we continue to stress to residents is that we can ill-afford to lose them…so
many agreed to be vaccinated. It will ensure that their communities remain intact and safe,” the
VC explained.
Guyana is still banking on herd immunity among its 782,766 nationals, Health Minister, Dr
Frank Anthony said in April this year when 116,280 had received their first dose of the COVID-
19 vaccine.
Anthony said then that under the herd-immunity plan, the Irfaan Ally administration was aiming
for and 85 per cent inoculation of the Guyanese population in the quest.
“We believe that the only way out of this pandemic is that each adult in Guyana must take a
COVID-19 vaccine. That is the only way we will be able to exit this pandemic,” Dr Anthony had
told Guyanese.
“We have a situation where a number of persons are skeptical about taking their vaccines, while
we have some persons who have taken theirs but when we compare our records to some other
regions, we are not that bad as 35 percent of Region Nine have been vaccinated thus far and we
are continuing to push to increase those numbers,” VC Xavier told this media house in an
exclusive.
Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo borders Brazil still struggling with high infection and
death rates, and Xavier is worried that the deadly virus will be imported en bloc by
Portuguese-speaking neighbours who enter the country officially and illegally.