Jamaica to Receive More Vaccines Over the Next Three Months

While more than 58,000 have received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, a concerning 93 % of Jamaicans are yet to receive their vaccine jabs.

As of July 19, over 119,000 Jamaicans have been fully vaccinated, this accounts for 4.4 percent of the targeted 1.9 million citizens.

The Government is now more than ever hopeful, that Jamaica is on the cusp of having sufficient vaccines to administer.

During the Tuesday, July 20, Parliamentary Joint Select Committee meeting on the COVID-19 pandemic, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dunstan Bryan said there are still some doubts around vaccine supplies.

He says the Government is working with other donor arrangements that are still in their infancy.

However, he says if all goes well, Jamaica will receive at least 1.4 million doses of vaccines over the next 3 months; among them, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

It is expected that about 950, 000 doses will be administered over the next 3 months bringing the country significantly closer to managing the spread of the virus.

Committee member, Tova Hamilton is concerned as to whether or not the current structure is sufficient for the inoculation process for the 1.4 million vaccines to come.

But, Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton says while the additional doses would significantly ramp up Jamaica’s vaccination level, vaccine hesitancy would increase.

He says Jamaica would therefore need another million doses of vaccines, adding that the strategy would have to be slightly different.

More in this CVM Live story from Aladden Love: