Government Encourages Incentivizing COVID-19 Vaccine

 In a bid to boost the take-up rate of COVID-19 vaccines, governments worldwide have been incentivizing vaccinations. It is a move being encouraged here in Jamaica with the Health Ministry seeking to administer some seven hundred (700,000) doses of the vaccine by the end of September 2021, in pursuit of the target to have 65 per cent of the population vaccinated by March 2022.

Despite criticism, the government is pushing ahead with plans to incentivize vaccine take-up. At present the government, through the serve Jamaica programme is providing a one-time $10,000 vaccine incentive for persons 60 years and older who are fully vaccinated. 

Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton is encouraging employers to allow employees time off from work to get vaccinated. He highlights that the Health and Wellness Foundation is mandated to reach out and incentivize inoculation.

President of the Jamaica Employers Federation, (JEF) David Wan says he will be engaging his members on the matter. He believes when individuals are inoculated, it can save them from having additional costs on medical bills while relieving the government from additional costs.

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