Highlighting that Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon himself is already fully inoculated against the novel coronavirus after receiving both doses of the Sputnik V vaccine, President Dr Irfaan Ali is pleading with the public to ignore the APNU+AFC’s “reckless” claims and get vaccinated.
Harmon today called for a suspension of the use of the Sputnik V vaccine in Guyana over unsubstantiated concerns about its authenticity. He also encouraged Guyanese not to take the vaccine.
“The APNU+AFC demands that these vaccines should be put on a hold until the population is given an assurance that what we are dealing is not a bogus transaction and that we are dealing with safe arrangement…My concern is that we get the real thing here in Guyana,” Harmon said during a press conference.
However, the Opposition Leader has admitted that he is fully inoculated with the very Sputnik V vaccine he is encouraging persons not to take. “I myself have taken the Sputnik V, first dose and second dose,” Harmon confessed.
Responding to the Opposition Leader, President Ali contended that his remarks are “self-serving”, “shamefully reckless”, “selfish”, and “against the interest of Guyanese”.
“This is a man who shamefully tried to steal an election…this is a man who himself took the Sputnik V vaccine…,” the Head of State reminded.
President Ali reiterated that the Sputnik V vaccine is being used in over 74 countries and it has a high efficacy rate.
Noting that these Covid-19 vaccines are not easily procured and that there is a worldwide vaccine scarcity, the Head of State blasted the Opposition Leader for his attempts to discredit the national efforts to immunize the population and achieve herd immunity.
“To now try to dissuade Guyanese at this important public health juncture of our country is reckless and shameful,” Ali contended.
He encouraged Guyanese to ignore Harmon’s untruths about the Sputnik V vaccine and urged them to get inoculated in order to fight this pandemic.
“I call on Guyanese to heed the calls o the Ministry of Health, heed the calls of science, heed the calls of the scientific community, heed the call of doctors and get vaccinated.”
