With a national vaccination drive expected to be expanded in the coming days, Guyana has received 24,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses through the COVAX Facility, which is a partnership between the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
In a statement, the local UNICEF office said “the arrival marks a historic step towards ensuring equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally, in the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history. This delivery is part of the first phase of deliveries for Guyana, with more vaccines expected to arrive successively during 2021”
According to the first round of COVAX allocations, Guyana is expected to continue receiving doses through May until it reaches 100,800, the amount specified by COVAX.
PAHO’s Revolving Fund, which is responsible for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines for the countries of the Americas under the COVAX Facility, shipped 24,000 doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, manufactured by SK Bioscience of South Korea. The vaccines arrived today at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Georgetown.
“Seeing this arrival is very reassuring and it means that more people will be able to be protected from COVID-19,” said Dr. Luis Codina, PAHO/WHO Representative in Guyana. “We will continue to work with the country to support vaccination along with the entire package of known public health and social measures that we know can help stop the spread of COVID-19, protect health services, and save lives.”
Guyana is one of ten countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that are receiving vaccines at no cost through the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC). Guyana is the first AMC country in the Caribbean to receive the vaccines through COVAX.
Guyana’s Ministry of Health has welcomed the arrival of the vaccines from COVAX AMC.
The government has indicated that the vaccines will help to expand the current vaccination efforts and assist in protectin persons who are vulnerable to COVID-19.
“The arrival of these vaccines and the future deliveries bring hope to families, especially children, who have suffered the consequences of the crisis caused by the pandemic, with profound impacts on education, mental health, protection and food security,” said Nicolas Pron, UNICEF Representative in Guyana.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the UN System in Guyana has worked with government, civil society, and other partners to identify and assist the needs of the population in responding to the health crisis and its socio-economic effects.
UN Resident Coordinator Mikiko Tanaka said “under the leadership of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the United Nations system has come together to help countries respond to the devastating global impact of COVID-19″.
COVAX seeks to provide vaccines for at least 20% of the population of each participating country during 2021. In this first round of vaccine allocation, all COVAX participating countries will receive doses to vaccinate between 2.2 and 2.6% of their population.
Guyana recorded its first case of coronavirus in March 2020. One year later, the country has recorded more than 10,000 cases and 229 deaths. In the past month alone, more than 1500 cases have been recorded.
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