Declaring that the COVID vaccination drive should not be treated as a political issue, President Irfaan Ali this afternoon said the Opposition Leader Joe Harmon is “reckless and selfish” for issuing a call for the use of the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine to be suspended.

At a midday press conference, Mr. Harmon said the vaccination drive using Sputnik should be suspended until the government provides critical information surrounding the procurement of the vaccine and its safe shipment to Guyana since it was bought through a middle source.

Speaking to News Source this afternoon, President Ali said his Government would never jeopardize the safety of citizens and he therefore sees the Opposition Leader’s call for the suspension as “reckless”.

“I find it shameful, reckless and selfish of the Opposition Leader to want to dissuade Guyanese from taking the Sputnik vaccine. But this goes beyond selfishness, this is putting the lives of Guyanese at risk”, the President said while reminding that the Opposition Leader has already been fully vaccinated.

An international news report on the sale of the Sputnik vaccine named Guyana as one of the countries that has fallen victim to paying overpriced sums to get the vaccine through a Dubai Sheik. The Sheik was in Guyana last November and held discussions with President Ali.

The President said the vaccines are safe and his government has been sparing no effort to get vaccines for the people of Guyana so that the country can effectively tackle the pandemic.

“The priority of the government was and continues to be to ensure that no effort is spared to have every Guyanese vaccinated. In trying to get these vaccines, we consulted and we tried, Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, Sinopharm, we made direct efforts to procure vaccines including diplomatic channels”, President Ali said.

He said his government will continue to administer the vaccine in its efforts to get ahead of the pandemic.

“The first priority is to ensure the safety and health of all Guyanese. It is clear scientifically that vaccines are the only way for us to get ahead of the pandemic and return the country to normalcy”.

The President said some countries are already seeing the consequences of not being able to secure vaccines and more than 70 countries are already using the Sputnik vaccine.

“Covid is not a political game and I want to assure Guyanese that this government is going to continue to work to have every Guyanese vaccinated”, President Ali told News Source.

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