Businessman allegedly receives COVID-19 vaccine meant for frontline workers

Feb 21, 2021 News

– GPHC senior staff member being investigated

A section of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

Kaieteur News – A local jeweller has allegedly received a shot of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine meant for frontline workers, facilitated by a senior staff member at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) with whom he is said to have personal ties.

A screen capture of the businessman’s Facebook post.

The businessman recently posted a picture of himself receiving the jab via his Facebook account, which was seen by this publication. Kaieteur News yesterday contacted the GPHC’s Head of Strategic Planning and Communications, Chelauna Providence, who confirmed that the matter is being investigated.
The Government has constantly reiterated that the first preference for vaccination is being given to frontline health workers, the elderly and persons with comorbidities. Upon the arrival of vaccines, frontline health care workers were designated the first to be vaccinated under the current phase of the government’s immunization program.
On February 13, Guyana received its first set of COVID-19 vaccines, which came as a donation from Barbados. The donation saw Guyana receiving 3,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the same brand the businessman boasted as having received on his Facebook page. President Irfaan Ali had stated that of the 3,000 doses, 100 persons at the CARICOM Secretariat will benefit and the remaining will be given to frontline healthcare workers. Since the vaccine is a double dose vaccine, the businessman’s receipt of what would have been a first dose, while not qualifying under the current rollout, raises questions with regard to the government’s security, record-keeping and verification system for the COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

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