As thousands of Guyanese await their second Sputnik V jab, the Government has no plans to suspend the administering of the first dose. Guyana Standard understands that over 80,000 persons are scheduled to take the second shot.
Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony said today that the scarcity is due to ‘global shortage’, and that the Guyana Government is working to acquire adequate second doses. He added that while first dose recipients should take their second jab within one month, ‘scientific literature has indicated that the interval can be extended to 90 days. However, recent reports have shown that the interval can be further extended.
“Indeed, a lot of people have taken the first dose Sputnik and we have some issues with getting the second dose – and that’s not just a local issue, it’s a global issue. There is a global shortage of the second dose. Nevertheless, the Russian Direct Investment Fund had advised that you can prolong the interval between first and second dose by up to 90 days. There’s more recent advice, which you can see published by Reuters on the 9th of July, indicating that you can actually go to up to 180 days. So, that interval, a lot of people who have taken their first dose would not have exhausted that longer interval [of 180 days]. We have been working with the 90 days, and we’re trying to get the vaccine so that people can get their second dose,” he said.
Minister Anthony said that the government is ‘hoping’ to resolve the issue ‘shortly’, while encouraging persons to still take the first dose of the Sputnik V vaccine.
