GEORGETOWN, GUYANA, 21 March 2023 [PAHO] -- Guyana received 13,440 doses of the Pfizer vaccine donated by the Government of Spain. Four thousand, eight hundred (4,800) children's vaccines were received and handed to the Ministry of Health yesterday. The vaccine arrived in two shipments. The second shipment of eight thousand, six hundred and forty (8,640) doses of the vaccine, which are for adults, was scheduled to arrive on 20 March 2023.
The vaccines were donated as part of the dose-sharing mechanism under a project funded by Spain and implemented by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to increase vaccine access among vulnerable populations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
"This donation comes at a very opportune time when we are presently out of stock. We know that although we are at the end of the COVID pandemic, we still need to do vaccination because vaccination is still the most important tool in prevention and preventing severe morbidity and mortality from COVID."
-Dr. Narine Singh, Chief Medical Officer, Minister of Health, Guyana
Dr. Luis Codina, PAHO/WHO Representative, stated that through the COVAX mechanism, the donation was received from the Government of Spain and Guyana is very happy to receive this shipment of vaccine.
"This vaccine is good for high-risk groups and health workers to avoid future hospitalization, especially during COVId-19.
- Dr. Luis Codina, PAHO/WHO Representative
With this donation, Guyana expects to continue expanding COVID-19 vaccination coverage, which to date is above 60%.
"I am very happy, very proud because Spain has turned out to be the second largest vaccine donor in the region. Despite the odds and the disinformation, it made a huge effort to underline how important vaccination is. It has not only proven to be the most scientifically sound approach to a disease that threatens to disrupt our current way of living very significantly, but also it has been proven perhaps the best show of civic duty that a person can show is the responsibility towards the people around you,"
- Fernando Nogales, Ambassador of Spain.
"This collaboration between PAHO and Spain aims at improving health and increasing COVID-19 protection in Latin America and Caribbean countries. The project supports vaccine delivery and immunization programmes, and includes, among others, the provision of PAHO technical assistance to strengthen national regulatory processes, community engagement, and communication to support vaccination and surveillance.
Vaccine donations under the project have been procured through PAHO's Revolving Fund, which facilitates access to additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in countries and territories of the Americas.
