Task Force: ‘Vaccinate or Test’ for Front-Line Workers

To improve vaccination coverage in the country, the National COVID-19 Vaccination Task Force is recommending that certain categories of workers be vaccinated or tested after a period of education. Chairman Professor Gordon Shirley says surveys indicate that up to 70 percent of the population is hesitant, adding that vaccine hesitancy among various essential groups is impacting negatively on the vaccination programme.

Speaking during a virtual press conference at Jamaica House on Wednesday, October 27, Professor Gordon Shirley who leads the National COVID-19 Vaccination Operationalisation Task Force says front-line workers – excluding members of the Jamaica Defence Force, (JDF), have very low penetration rates of vaccination.

Mr. Shirley stresses that only about 50 percent of public health nurses are vaccinated. He is suggesting the implementation of a programme to have specialist doctors in a variety of areas address concerns such as reproductive health raised by the nurses.

Professor Shirley says after a sufficient period of education, a “vaccinate or test” programme for health care and other front-line workers should be implemented. He also is suggesting that the Government should support the cost for the testing for a few weeks, after which the healthcare workers would should starting paying for the tests themselves. He says a similar initiative should be taken for those in the education, tourism, and BPO sectors.

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