Reg. 9 health authorities eye high vaccination uptake again this year – News Room Guyana

All children between the ages of one and five, who live in Region Nine (Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo), got their required vaccines last year and local authorities are helpful that this positive vaccination uptake will continue this year.

Regional Health Officer, Dr. Levan Henry on Wednesday, told the News Room that across the entire region, last year’s vaccination uptake for these young children was 100 per cent.

“Generally we have a pretty good uptake across the board whether it be for the 1-5 and even our adult population. For last year we had 100 per cent vaccination coverage within our 1-5’s,” Dr. Henry said.

He said Central Annai, which comprises of five villages has positive figures because of the vast majority of people, some of which are migrants. He said the migrant population has been good for the communities but also provides a challenge in reaching residents who frequently move between Guyana and Brazil. He identified the region’s mobile population as one of the main challenges to maintaining high vaccination coverage.

“Because of our proximity to Brazil, we find that sometimes persons might come to our clinics or other facilities across the region,” Dr. Henry said.

As a result, health officials sometimes have to work with their Brazilian counterparts to locate Guyanese patients who have moved across the border. Despite these challenges, Region Nine is again working toward reaching full vaccination coverage this year.

“For this year, we are on our way to having 100 per cent vaccine coverage again,” he said.

Dr. Henry also said vaccination plays a critical role in preventing diseases and urged residents to seek accurate information from healthcare professionals rather than relying solely on information found online.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE