Prime Minister Andrew Holness has warned that new vaccination policies are soon to be implemented. He says the Government is reaching a critical point where it must take action as the current measures cannot continue in place forever.
His comments came on Thursday, October 7, during a tour of vaccination blitz sites in North Central Clarendon. This comes after weeks of maintaining that Jamaica’s Constitution requires the Government to allow for a period of public education before mandatory vaccination is even considered.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness says there is a clear indication that Jamaicans are fatigued by the current measures and many are unwilling to continue on this path for much longer, and new vaccination policies may be necessary. He says citizens should understand that if they refuse to get the jab, the country will not return to normal, adding that the unvaccinated remain the host population for the reproduction and mutation of COVID-19.
While noting that the Government will respect the rights of citizens and the process, before infringing on these rights, the Prime Minister says children must return to face-to-face classes. He says there will come a time when the Government will have to insist upon persons getting vaccinated.
In the interim, PM Holness says there must be a period of reasoning with Jamaicans to ensure they recognize that their freedom is not without obligation.
The Government is redoubling its efforts to ensure that one million Jamaicans are vaccinated by the end of November, as vaccines draw closer to their expiration date. 268, 280 doses of AstraZeneca will expire on October 31, and 100, 800 doses on November 30. PM Holness says the disposal of 60, 000 doses of the vaccine, which expired at the end of September, was regrettable.
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