Guyana to start giving booster shot to all adults from Monday

Citizens of Guyana will receive their booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine from upcoming Monday, November 22, 2021. The announcement was made by the islands’ health minister – Dr Frank Anthony, during a conference on the COVID-19 update. 

The booster shots will be provided to the citizens from the existing stock of vaccines. 

Who can take booster shots? 

The health minister informed that the citizens who are and above 50 years of age are eligible to take the booster shot of the COVID vaccine, while individuals who are 18 years and above with comorbidity can also come to the vaccination centres to receive their booster jab from next week. 

“Out of an abundance of caution, what we are doing from next week, is that we want to make booster shots available to persons 50 years and above, so anybody, once you pass 50, you can come in, and we will be able to give you a booster if you would like to get a booster,” Minister Anthony stated. 

Minister further highlighted that only 51 percent of the Guyanese population is inoculated against the deadliest COVID-19 virus. 

Following his statement, he further stated that the citizens who have taken the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine would have to wait at least 52 days prior to taking their booster shot. 

While highlighting the significance of booster jab, the health minister asserted, “We have concluded based on data and recommendations from more stringent authorities, that a booster shot is crucial because what that data has shown is that after 6 months after receiving the second dose, if the regimen is a two-dose regimen, 6 months after that second dose the immunity starts to wean and therefore if the immunity begins to wean the chances are that persons can get infected, and there can also be breakthrough infections”.  

Apart from this, he further encouraged the Guyanese population to understand their responsibility and take their shots of the coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible and follow the COVID guidelines.