Next set of COVID shots for those 60 and over – Anthony

With more COVID-19 vaccines slated for Guyana and the government hoping to move to the second tier of persons for vaccination, a minimum age to qualify has been announced.

Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony made the disclosure during his COVID-19 update yesterday where he stated that the ministry has decided that the starting age for the vaccination of the elderly would be 60 years.

“We have pegged it at 60 years and above, but once we get enough vaccines, we are going to lower that age range,” Dr Anthony responded when asked about the eligible age. The Minister had previously said that following the complete rollout of vaccines to cover the country’s healthcare workers, the health authorities will then move on to the vaccination of the elderly population, and then to persons with underlying conditions.

For the rollout of vaccines to the elderly, the health minister noted that the Ministry of Social Service’s database will be used to identify and subsequently cover that sector of the population.

And when queried about getting the vaccines to elderly persons who may be confined to their homes, outside of geriatric institutions, Anthony said that as long as health authorities are able to identify those persons, the ministry will be able to have a special team deployed to the homes of those individuals to administer the vaccines.

“It’s based on that database that pensions are being paid so they cover quite a lot of people and we are going to be using that. We are also going to be taking the vaccines into the homes of the elderly, so wherever those homes exist we are going to be taking them [vaccines] there as well,” the minister was quoted as saying.