The Berbice Regional Health Services (BRHS) has administered in excess of 9,000 yellow fever vaccines to residents of Region Six, East Berbice and Rosignol, Region Five, West Coast Berbice in the last three weeks.
According to a GINA press release, Director of BRHS Jevaughn Stephens said the vaccines were administered at the Public Health building located on the bottom flat of the BHRS building to people from as young as 11 to the elderly.
The release quoted a Ministry of Public Health press release from July 8, 2016 which stated that “Following the recent outbreak of yellow fever in Angola, several countries have imposed the requirements for vaccination against the disease for travel 10 days prior to arrival.”
It added that, “Guyana, as a part of the Latin American Region with risk of yellow fever is listed as one the countries whose residents would be required to be immunised and issued with a yellow fever certificate prior to travel.”
The Ministry of Public Health release also advised that persons travelling from countries listed as endemic for yellow fever (mainly in Africa and Asia) should have a valid International Certificate of Vaccination or prophylaxis on arrival in Guyana.”
According to the release, countries listed as endemic are mainly from the African continent. So far it does not include countries in North America, Europe, Central America and the Caribbean.
For more information on the public health recommendations for travel, contact the Ministry of Public Health on telephone number 226-1500 or your nearest healthcare facility.
