The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is expected to receive approximately 195 million doses of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines between March and June, around 300,000 of which are scheduled to arrive in Jamaica in April.

The island should have access to almost one million doses before the end of the year.

In an address to Parliament on Tuesday (January 19), Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton said this step in the response to COVID-19, in which approximately five per cent of the population will be served, is critical.

“We believe it is the phase that will see the beginning of the end of COVID-19 as a primary threat. Not that it will go away, but as a primary threat not just to our population but to the world,” the health minister said.

Yesterday PAHO said the nearly 200 million doses it is to receive will be for deployment to member countries joining the World Health Organization’s (WHO) COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility, through which the provisions are being procured.

The amount will be from two billion doses for which the WHO has already secured agreements with manufacturers, through the Facility, for global distribution.

Among them is Pfizer Inc., the first entity issued with an emergency use licence for its vaccine by the WHO.

In Jamaica, sites will be set up at the University Hospital of the West Indies, the Bustamante Children’s Hospital, the National Chest Hospital, Spanish Town Hospital, the Mandeville Regional Hospital, Cornwall Regional Hospital and the St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital for individuals captured in the first phase to receive vaccinations.

Among those who will receive vaccinations in two doses over a number of weeks will be healthcare workers, members of the security forces, correctional officers, customs and immigration officers, parliamentarians, persons in infirmaries, and the elderly.

With additional doses expected to arrive in Jamaica in July and December, Tufton expects around 16 per cent of the population to be inoculated by the end of phase one of the nation’s vaccination programme. Another 16 per cent of the population should be vaccinated by the end of phase two, though limited information around distribution has left the Government unable to provide a detailed timeline.

GOLDING CONCERNED ABOUT LOW VACCINATION TARGET

But with only 32 per cent of the population expected to receive vaccines by the end of phase two, Opposition Leader Mark Golding, in response to Tufton, argued that this was unacceptably low as a 60 per cent take up is required to reach herd immunity.

“Jamaica should do its utmost to source sufficient doses to immunise our population this year at a level that would achieve herd immunity this year,” Golding said.

Unfortunately, Tufton, noted, the market for vaccines has left the nation unable to target higher take up.

Speaking during PAHO’s COVID-19 digital briefing on Tuesday, PAHO Assistant Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa said delivery of the vaccines in the region is expected to get under way in March when the first 20 million doses are expected to be received for deployment, thereby facilitating the targeted commencement of the vaccination programme roll-out in member countries.

Barbosa indicated that another 35 million doses are expected in April, 45 million in May, and approximately 95 million in June, noting that these are the latest estimates from COVAX.

“Through COVAX, what we want to start is a constant flow of delivery of vaccines, so that we can begin with the strategy of [vaccinating] priority groups of every country continuously, without suspending vaccination for any reason whatsoever,” he informed.

These groups, which would comprise approximately 20 per cent of each State’s population, include healthcare workers, among them those on the front line in the fight to suppress COVID-19; the elderly, and persons with pre-existing health conditions.

“Once we confirm the deliveries, we are going to know exactly which amounts we have for each country. Our expectations are to start vaccinating in March on a continuing basis for all of the countries of the Americas,” Barbosa added.

In the meantime, PAHO Director Dr. Carissa Etienne advised that agreements have been forged with AstraZeneca and tze Serum Institute of India for the supply of licensed AstraZeneca and Novavax vaccines, as soon as these obtain WHO emergency use listing approval.

Additionally, she said PAHO’s Revolving Fund for Vaccines is helping member countries with the vaccine procurement process and inputs, including the acquisition of syringes, safety boxes, cold chain equipment, and other supplies “that allow vaccines to be safely delivered to every corner of our region”.