The Ministry of Health has announced that it is expecting a shipment of the Pfizer vaccines tomorrow.
The vaccines are expected to arrive at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport where it will be received by Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, Charge d’ Affaires of the U.S Embassy Security Office Mr. Mark Cullinane and other officials.
The country is expected to receive a total of 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine under the COVAX mechanism.
The Guyana Government had announced that the Pfizer vaccines will be administered to children from ages 12 to 17 as officials seek to reopen schools in September.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, one of two which has been approved for children aged 12 to 17, is proven to be 95% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed infection with the virus that causes Covid-19 in people who received two doses.
Pfizer’s two-dose Covid-19 vaccine has now received full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – the first jab to be licensed in the nation.
The vaccine had initially been given emergency use authorisation. Its two jabs, three weeks apart, are now fully approved for those aged 16 and older.
It still has emergency use authorisation for children aged 12 to 15.
The Health Ministry has already commenced preparations for the rollout of the Pfizer vaccines for children through collaboration with the Education Ministry. When completed, school-aged children will be able to return to school.
Meanwhile, the Education Ministry begun engagements with principals of schools regarding vaccination for students as the reopening of schools draws closer, amid announcement of the Pfizer shipment.
Consent forms have already been made available to parents to fill out and submit which will serve as proof of the permission given to have their child vaccinated. Parents and guardians will also be required to be present when the vaccine is administered.
