With an influx of COVID-19 vaccine doses expected to arrive in April, the Government has outlined its plan to mobilise community stakeholders to assist in minimising vaccine hesitancy among the populace.

Addressing Parliament’s joint select committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic and Related Matters, Dunstan Bryan, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellnesss, said the Government would be rolling out a community-based blitz mobilisation programme.

The aim of the community-based programme is to “to reduce the socioeconomic bias in (vaccination) targeting, increase the reach and depth of (the government’s) communication strategy for all socioeconomic groups within the population, reduce vaccine hesitancy amongst the population and promote a whole of government approach to vaccination implementation”.

The community-based blitz mobilisation programme is to consist of two elements – communication and transportation.

The communication element will involve persons assisting with the registration of individuals for vaccination appointments, with the goal of having each constituency register a minimum of 100 persons. Parish councilors will also be expected to identify and provide town criers in communities, advising persons of vaccination sites and distributing informational material to them.

The transportation element will involve identifying a means of transport for persons with appointments to arrive at the site, ensuring that they are on time for their appointments and that they are made aware of the date for their second dose.

This system will be utilised each time the blitz vaccination process is to take place.

An initial pilot of the community-based blitz mobilisation programme is expected to take place on Saturday (April 3) in the communities of West Kingston, Central Kingston, East Kingston and Port Royal, South West St Andrew and South East St Andrew, with each constituency expected to mobilise 100 individuals to be vaccinated.

Throughout the exercise, members of parliament and councilors will be expected to document the strategies that work, for guidance when the programme is launched in other constituencies on April 10.

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