-Region One leads with 55.9 per cent
-Minister Anthony
Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony says the Government’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign is still ongoing across the regions, despite the rains and flooding.
During Thursday’s COVID-19 update, Dr. Anthony said the Barima-Waini (Region One) is still leading the countrywide vaccination campaign, with 55.9 per cent of residents taking their first dose.
“We have seen an increase in Region One and as you would note now, Region One, based on first dose vaccination, they are ahead.
And again, we have several teams that are operating in Region One and hopefully that despite the flood they will continue to be able to do that.”
With Region One leading, Region Six has taken second place with 54 per cent. Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Seven and Nine are within the 40-per cent bracket, while Region 10 lags behind at 14 per cent.
To date 224, 853 persons in Guyana have taken their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. This represents 46.2 per cent of the country’s adult population. Over 94,000 persons have been fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, Minister Anthony said teams have been experiencing some challenges in the Upper and Middle Mazaruni in Region Seven and in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo (Region Nine) due to flooding. The teams there have continued working and have been conducting surveillance for waterborne diseases, even as others employ other methods to encourage vaccination.
“In Region Seven, they have started a house-to-house vaccine campaign in the Bartica area in the hope of getting more people vaccinated. And in the Upper and Middle Mazaruni it is quite flooded and so the teams are having challenges, so they are doing more observation for waterborne diseases.”
Minister Anthony noted that this has resulted in low vaccination rates in some regions.
“It is certainly challenging in some of the communities, especially those that are affected by flooding and in some cases like in Region Eight because of the mountains and so forth, it is difficult to reach some of the communities.
Nevertheless, they have been trying and they have, despite all the challenges, been working to get people vaccinated.”
The countrywide vaccination campaign continues as the government works toward achieving herd immunity.