With the middle man Guyana used to purchase the Sputnik vaccine falling short on delivery, leaving thousands not fully vaccinated, the government is now dealing directly with the supplier of the vaccine.

There are over 80,000 persons waiting on their 2^nd dose of the vaccine for months. Despite the long wait, the Government continues to administer the first dose of the Sputnik vaccine.  President Irfaan Ali said a shipment of the 2^nd dose shots will be available soon.

“We have been engaging the suppliers, we have been engaging Russia to ensure that we have a steady supply. As of now, we are expecting based on what was told to us in the next 5-6 days we are expecting a shipment from the suppliers,” the President assured.

He said the issue has been one of great concern for his administration.

“Trust me, every night we are on the phone, talking to the Ambassador of Russia, talking to Russia directly, talking to every stakeholder who can assist in this, and that is an important part of our agenda too,” The President said.

Although the government paid more than the suggested price for the Sputnik vaccines in advance through the services of a Sheik from the United Arab Emirates, a shortage of the 2nd dose shots has been dogging the vaccination rollout for months.

The Government is also worried that as a number of countries begin to implement vaccination requirements for entry, many of them might not recognize the Sputnik vaccine as it is still to be approved by the World Health Organisation.

Guyana is the only country in CARICOM that has been administering the Sputnik V.

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