Anthony says syringes in stock for COVID vaccine rollout

Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony has assured there will be enough medical supplies such as syringes for an effective rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine which is expected to commence in the coming weeks.

Speaking with Stabroek News last night, Anthony related that his ministry has been in a continuous procurement process to secure the necessary medical supplies.

He said that given the global demand for medical equipment and a possible global shortage in supplies, the ministry began the procurement process early, a move he said that will eliminate hiccups from the effective rollout.

Guyana is expected to receive around 104,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine under the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility. With two doses per person this would cover 52,000 persons.

China has also announced a donation of 20,000 of its vaccines, which would cover another 10,000 persons. Guyana is expected to receive China’s Sinopharm vaccine.

“The vaccine that we have been told that we will be getting… is the Sinopharm vaccine,” Anthony said. while mentioning that it has been donated to several countries.

Noting that the Sinopharm vaccine has been given the greenlight for emergency use in a number of countries across the world, including in the

Middle East and Argentina and Brazil in South America, he revealed arrangements are currently being concluded for the donation.

On Thursday, Anthony told the National Assembly that Guyana could receive an additional 149,000 doses of approved COVID-19 vaccines through the CARICOM-African Union arrangement.

Anthony said he believes that the African Union may have access to the mRNA vaccines, which means that they would possibly be able to allocate vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.

Around 22,000 frontline workers are expected to be the first recipients of COVID-19 vaccines, Anthony had announced recently.

The Minister had said that the health authorities are optimistic that Guyana will have additional vaccines to be able to cover all persons in the secondary categories. When vaccinations are completed for frontline workers, the elderly and those with comorbidities, he explained would receive the shots.

“But again because the vaccines are not mandatory there might be persons who would not want to take it and therefore it frees up a vaccine for another person,” he pointed out. However, he advised that persons take the vaccine when it is rolled out as it would help to minimise the chance of infection and hospitalisation.