– through COVAX Facility
Guyana has moved a step closer to securing a COVID-19 vaccine through the COVAX Facility, an international vaccines mechanism which aims to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country during the pandemic.
During Tuesday’s COVID-19 update, Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony revealed that Guyana’s Letter of Intent has been submitted to COVAX. Countries interested in utilising the facility were given a specific time to submit their Letters.
“For us to move ahead with that process, it requires the Government of Guyana entering agreements with COVAX, they have given us a list of things that we have to go through. We have already signed Letters of Intent to be part of the Facility. We had to sign a term of agreement to be part of the Facility … So, we had to complete that Letter and send it off yesterday, so that was done,” Minister Anthony explained.
Financing of a vaccine for Guyana through COVAX is being subsidised through the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI). Minister Anthony said the process is ongoing, but will be finalised soon. He said this was part of the agreement that required careful sorting out.
“We have another one that is coming up, which would be for December 14, and right now, we are examining all the issues relating to that, that has to do with indemnification. So, we are going to examine that and then on December 14, once we don’t have any problems with it, we’ll fill those forms and send them up.”
Countries paying for their own vaccines have a particular management structure, while those receiving their vaccines free fall under another. Guyana falls under the free structure, which has a specific allocation framework being formulated by the World Health Organization (WHO).