Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding how a person who is not a frontline worker received a shot of the Covid-19 vaccine.
This is according to Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony, who said an investigation is in full swing to take action and prevent any such breach in the future.
He asserted: “There had been some leakages of our vaccine and we have investigation that is ongoing to find out that how it is that that person who came in and got a vaccine, who is not a frontline worker. That is a total breach of the protocols because the first set of people that we want to get vaccines are those that are most at risk.”
It has been over one week since frontline workers started receiving their vaccines.
The Health Minister said they are yet to exhaust these resources. This batch from the Barbadian Government was set aside to vaccinate 1400 healthcare workers.
Thus far, over 1800 persons have been administered their first dose from all regions with the exception of Regions Eight and Nine. A team will visit these areas this week.
“What we have been trying to do as much as possible is to identify those patients who are working directly with COVID-19 patients and to be able to give those persons the first preference. As of today, we have given out 1852 vaccines to different persons…We will be able to cover all the regions with healthcare workers that are directly working with COVID-19 patients.”
The entire tranche will be used as a first dose and the incoming AstraZeneca vaccines from another batch will be used to supply the second shot. This is since the interval between the two jabs is roughly 12 weeks, allowing enough time until more vaccines arrive. It was stated that a number of strategies were undertaken to acquire vaccines for Guyana.
Presently, vaccines are expected from multiple sources and this can be realised in another week.
“We have been talking to the COVAX facility and we’re expecting now that the WHO has approved the AstraZeneca vaccine, that very shortly we will be able to get vaccines from COVAX. We have also been in conversations with some other countries and those discussions are getting close to the end so once we have concluded those talks, we will start seeing vaccines coming out of those discussions or negotiations,” he informed.
