More vaccines to arrive this week through African Medical Supply Platform

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has announced details of plans to have 29 COVID-19 vaccination blitzes across the island, over the next three months.

This is being done as the Government steps up its inoculation programme. In a statement to Parliament yesterday, Tufton disclosed that his ministry will be hosting a second vaccination blitz this Saturday (April 3) at the National Arena, as part of 25 such events spread across the island, starting with the elderly 75 years and over.

He identified the specific locations where these blitzes will be taking place for the weekend of April 9. One will take place this weekend in Kingston and St Andrew at the National Arena.

For St Catherine, the blitz will be hosted at the Celebration Church in Portmore, SDC Office in St Thomas, Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James, Lucea Anglican Church in Hanover, Denbigh Show Ground in Clarendon and St Mark’s Anglican Parish Church in Manchester.

The other locations are St Matthews Anglican Parish Church in St Elizabeth,  Bahia Principe Resort in St Ann, Trelawny Multi-Purpose Centre in Trelawny, Gayle Civic Centre in St Mary and Folly Oval in Portland.

Tufton reported that his ministry will continue to review other locations to be used as vaccination blitz sites.

He pointed out that, “the special approach moving forward will include working with the Electoral Office of Jamaica, members of parliament and councilors to assist with the identification, registration and logistics of moving the targeted groups to the relevant vaccination sites”.

Update on Jamaica’s vaccination programme 

Tufton updated the Parliament on Jamaica’s vaccination programme, where 37,508 persons across the island have been inoculated since Wednesday (March 10).

As of March 29, the vaccination breakdown is as follows:

1. Week 1: 16,096 – This represents 94 per cent of target
2. Week 2: 13,244 – This represents 116 per cent of target
3. So far for week 3: 8,168 – This represents 42 per cent of target

Up to March 30, the island had recorded 39,237 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 596 deaths.  

Tufton briefed Parliament about last Saturday’s first vaccination blitz, where provisions were made to vaccinate 1,000 seniors but only 662 registrations were received through the ministry’s vaccination appointment platform.

“At the end of the day, we recorded 647 persons vaccinated at the location, with no wastage from open vials. Allow me to commend the health teams from the ministry and the South East Regional Health Authority who were on the ground on Saturday, along with the Jamaica Defense Force, Jamaica Constabulary Force and the private sector team,” Tufton told Parliament.

Additional supply of vaccines to come this week

He disclosed that Jamaica is to receive its third shipment of COVID-19 vaccine doses – 75,000 doses of AstraZeneca through the African Medical Supply Platform – this week.

He said “there are other supply opportunities that are being pursued by the Government with the clear policy instruction that all vaccines supplied to the country must be approved by the stated Stringent Approval Authority, that being the World Health Organization, the European Authority and the Food and Drug Administration”.

Tufton noted that his ministry, through its procuring agent, the National Health Fund, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, has been working to ensure the supply of safe vaccines for the Jamaican people.

Jamaica previously received 64,400 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The first batch of 50,000 doses was received as a gift from India while the second batch of 14,400 was received as part of Jamaica’s involvement in the COVAX facility.

Jamaica was the first country in the region to receive a shipment of vaccines from through COVAX.