Guyana has received a donation of 52,800 coronavirus (COVID-19) Pfizer paediatric vaccines from the United States.
The vaccines were donated through the COVAX facility.
This brings the total number of vaccines donated by the US to Guyana to 354,660.
The vaccines can be used on children ages five to 11 years old.
Deputy Chargé d’Affaires at the United States Embassy in Georgetown Adrienne Galanek noted that the US “remains steadfast in our commitment to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines and help save lives.”
“We are so happy to have provided Guyana with 354,660 in total. It’s a wonderful partnership that we have with the Ministry of Health and we are so happy to be here providing these lifesaving vaccines.”
Guyana began its paediatric COVID-19 campaign in June.
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said over 6,000 children have been vaccinated with at least one dose of the vaccine.
Anthony noted that children in Guyana’s interior communities have some of the highest uptake.
He is hopeful people living in coastal communities would follow suit and vaccinate their children.
“I think for a lot of people, they believe that COVID-19 is over and people are being very complacent, but you do have one of the more contagious strains of the omicron virus that is circulating, that is the B.A5. Even if you had a previous infection with omicron or one of the other variants, you can get re-infected with B.A5, so we are still not out of the woods,” he stated.
