The Government Analyst, Food and Drug Department has said no vaccines were imported into Guyana that did not satisfy the requirements of the department for emergency use.
This statement comes as Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon issued a call for the suspension of the administering of Sputnik V COVID-19 Vaccine manufactured by Russia over issues concerning its procurement and authenticity.
The Department which falls under the Ministry of Health said the importation of all the COVID-19 vaccines followed all established emergency authorization protocols for use during a pandemic.
According to the regulatory agency, its assessment of the vaccines was done using the World Health Organisation guidelines and were reliant on Emergency Use Authorization issued by several reference authorities, inclusive of the United States Food and Drug Administration, the United Kingdom Medicine and Health Products Regulatory Agency, WHO Emergency use listing and the Caribbean Public Health Agency.
The agency said the emergency use authorizations were granted after receiving a request from the Maternal and Child Health Unit of the Ministry of Health detailing the information of the vaccines that were intended to be imported which included the address of the manufacturer and supplier.
All approvals issued were done in accordance with the laws of the Guyana Food and Drug Act, the department.
Harmon issued the call for the suspension of Sputnik V vaccine over it procurement and authenticity.