COVID-19 vaccination uptake has seen improvement in all regions except Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). This lag, Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony says, must be addressed before the situation worsens. Guyana is aiming to achieve herd immunity by vaccinating more than 90 percent of its population. This target is likely to fluctuate depending on the severity and the evolution of the virus. Several variants have already been discovered since the Wuhan, China outbreak in 2019, with each reportedly more transmissible and deadlier than the other.
Region Four, home to Guyana’s capital, Georgetown, and the most populated of the 10 Administrative Regions, is the district with the most cases since the country recorded its first imported case back in March 2020.
Some 82 percent of the population received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine since the rollout this year. Dr. Anthony, however, is convinced that more still needs to be done.
In Region One 79.5 percent of the population has had a first dose of the vaccine; Region Two, 59.6; Region Three, 70.1; Region Five, 72.4; Region Six, 73.8; Region Seven, 72.4; Region Eight, 45.4 percent; Region Nine, 73.6 percent; and Region 10 at 33.1.
“As you can see in Region 10, we are really lagging because they have only completed about 33.1 percent of the region’s population. If we hope to get to herd immunity in that region, then we have to increase this to at least 90 percent. Again, Region Eight is also lagging behind they are at 45.4 percent and again if we want to be at herd immunity it’s about 90 percent, Region Two is also lagging and they are 59.6 percent and again if we are looking at getting herd immunity against Delta it’s about 90 percent of the population, so, we have a far way to go in terms of vaccinating especially in these three regions,” Dr Anthony noted.
The Ministry is also expecting more doses of Sputnik V, AstraZeneca, and Pfizer vaccines in the coming weeks. (Extracted and modified from the Department of Information)
