Two elderly people who took the COVID-19 vaccines have died but the reason for their deaths cannot be linked to the vaccines as they were both severely ill from a range of illnesses including heart problems, diabetes and hypertension, Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony announced on Wednesday.
Information about the age and gender of the patients who died was not readily available and the News Room will update this story as it becomes available.
While fielding questions from the press during a media conference at the Infectious Disease Hospital at Liliendaal, the Health Minister related that the two patients presented with “severe comorbidities.”
“So the prognosis would have been bad outside of the COVID-19 virus,” Dr. Anthony explained.
The possibility of fully vaccinated persons becoming infected with the virus exists but they would not present with severe symptoms of the virus. Dr. Anthony has said that the Health Ministry has been closely monitoring persons who received their first and second doses for drastic changes in their health.
But thus far, those are the only two cases recorded in Guyana. And this, according to the Health Minister should not deter persons from getting the vaccine.
“You cannot just say that it is the vaccine or anything of the sort.
“The patients were extremely sick, their prognosis would have been bad from the onset,” he continued.
At the COVID hospital, the minister explained that many of the patients there are unvaccinated though there have been a few cases where persons who have received one dose of the vaccine being hospitalised. And those persons, he pointed out, also have severe underlying conditions.
Guyana is now in its third wave of the virus and with the deadlier Delta variant wreaking havoc in other nations, Dr. Anthony implored on persons to get vaccinated.
“These vaccines produce antibodies that help to fend off the virus and that is why we are not seeing many persons needing hospitalisation,” he added.
Two of my close work mates came down with COVID. At the time I had 1 of my 2 jabs completed. I tested every few days for a month and stayed in isolation for the first 5 days. ALL negative tests and no sickness. The vaccines work IMO>.