Headlines:
| Guyana’s shipment of H1N1 vaccines delayed |
|
|
| Wednesday, 18 November 2009 | |
|
A shipment of 240,000 vaccines for H1N1 which was due to
arrive in Guyana
this week, has been delayed. The arrival date for the vaccine has been shifted to mid-December but the Health Ministry's position on the distribution remains the same. The Ministry has said that once they arrive, the vaccines will be given to priority groups, which include children under five years old, pregnant women, persons with asthma and health workers. According to the Ministry, the setback is not unique to Guyana, as similar hold-ups are occurring globally. The vaccines are being sourced through the Pan American Health Organisation's Revolving Fund, which was established in 1977 to facilitate mass procurement for several small countries. Two hundred million doses of the vaccine have been earmarked for Latin America and the Caribbean region. Guyana's health ministry has said the country actually needs between 400,000 and 500,000 doses of the swine flu vaccine. |