Dear Editor,
Thank you for publishing my letter with queries about the local vaccination programme (When will COVID vaccine centres be opened in Georgetown? SN March 11, 2021). I have since had calls from several people with other queries and concerns that they would like addressed. I have been told that different vaccines have different intervals for the two shots needed but this requires some official clarification as to whether this is indeed the case.
Those who intend to travel have several other concerns. A friend who received the Astrazeneca shot realised that the card she was given for her second jab did not state which vaccine she received. She was concerned that the vaccination certificate will not state this at all and might well have posed problems when entering other countries. She returned to the vaccination centre with her concern and her card was updated with the relevant information, should this not be part of the regular protocol? And will the vaccination certificate you receive state clearly which vaccine you have received?
The reason for this is that it does appear that the Chinese vaccines, though they have been approved for use by individual countries, have not yet been granted approval by the WHO. The WHO website states its approval for the emergency use of the Astrazeneca and Pfizer vaccines but there appears to be no approval yet for vaccines manufactured in China. Could this then pose problems for those who receive the Sinopharm vaccine and intend to travel?
There are also a number of people with family members who are ill or infirm and are not ambulatory, and yet they do not know what measures are in place to ensure that their family members will get vaccinated. Other countries are going to great lengths to make it very easy for their citizens to get vaccinated with vaccination centres opened in just about every neighbourhood and community.
Over the past months, the government here has given a number of public assurances about its state of readiness for a national vaccination programme. However, with the roll-out raising so many questions and concerns about procedures, protocols and basic information, it appears that they have to address a number of initial hiccups in order to ensure a smoother process so that everyone will feel secure against the threat of the pandemic.
Sincerely,
Ryhaan Shah
