No need for sportspersons to fear COVID-19 vaccines – Dr Anthony

As the COVID-19 vaccination campaign continues across Guyana, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, on Wednesday, said there is no need for sportspersons to worry about the vaccines affecting their training or performance.

During his daily COVID-19 briefing on Wednesday, the Minister explained that when injected with a vaccine, the body’s immune system is stimulated to produce antibodies to fight off a virus. In the case of the COVID-19 vaccines, the body produces antibodies to fight the SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes the disease, COVID-19.

And, the Health Minister assured members of the public that the vaccines do not affect other bodily functions or any of the other systems of the human body.

“If you’re an athlete, it wouldn’t have any adverse effect on your performance as an athlete, and therefore, there’s no reason why high-performance or all athletes for that matter shouldn’t take the vaccines,” the Health Minister posited.

Meanwhile, when asked if the local health authorities would consider permitting sporting activities once individuals are vaccinated, Dr Anthony said that such considerations would be made when Guyana achieved herd immunity.

Herd immunity, he explained, would be achieved when about 500,000 adults are fully immunised (that is, they receive both doses of the COVID-19 vaccines). Thus far, 128,740 people have received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose while 2,941 people have been fully immunised.

“Once we are able to achieve herd immunity, then a lot of things would be able to open up, not just sports but a lot of other events we will be able to open up,” Dr Anthony said.