– encourage others to get vaccinated
Guyanese already inoculated against the deadly COVID-19, continue to urge others to do the same to aid the Government’s efforts to achieve herd immunity.
On Thursday, DPI visited the Ministry of Health’s Brickdam vaccination site and spoke with several persons, who eagerly encouraged fellow citizens and other individuals residing here to take the jab.
Mr. George Edward Dean of West Bel Air Park, said he took the vaccine to protect his family. Dean celebrated his 84th birth anniversary on Wednesday.
Another citizen, Mr. Doodnauth Sharma who hails from the East Bank of Demerara, but works in Georgetown, was happy to be among the 16 per cent of the population fully immunised against COVID-19.
“I feel very good, no symptoms. I want to protect my myself, family and my work place colleagues and everyone else,” he said.
Similarly, Ms. Annesa Vieira, who lives on the West Bank of Demerara but works in the city, said she had challenges getting time off from work. She was elated to have finally made it for her first dose of the vaccine.
“I’ve been waiting a long time to do this, unfortunately I could have only gotten it done now. We all need to do what we can to fight this thing and let it be gone, and well the most important reason is immunisation, we can try do everything, we can mask up and sanitise, but this is just the extra step in making sure that if we do get in contact with the virus, it is not as detrimental as it would be if you don’t get vaccinated,” Ms. Vieira said.
Mr. Leon Goring of Eccles, East Bank Demerara, was also happy to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. He too said it was his responsibility to safeguard himself and others.
“This is my second dose. First of all, personally it could minimise your chances of contracting COVID-19, secondly, protection of my family and the community I live in and the people I interact with, so I had to be responsible in taking the vaccine.”
Meanwhile, Nurse Shamaine Hudson, who is attached to the Male Surgical Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), said she will soon join the fully vaccinated group. While she is thrilled, she is still concerned about those individuals who have not yet taken their first dose of the Covid vaccine.
“I do advise that the general public to take your vaccine, COVID-19 is real, you lose a lot of lives on a daily basis, you are exposed to so much, you don’t know who is being careful out there so you have to protect yourself, so I encourage the entire Guyana to take the COVID-19 vaccine and protect yourself and continue wearing your mask, wash and sanitise and of course practice social distancing,” she urged.
As of Wednesday 161,886, persons have so far taken their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. This represents 33.3 per cent of the adult population in Guyana. Some 18, 526 persons are fully immunised.