More COVID-19 vaccine doses to arrive through COVAX today
Juanique Tennant / Our Today
As the country seeks to continue its coronavirus vaccination rollout, a second shipment of 55,200 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, procured through the COVAX facility, is expected to arrive on the island today (April 26).
According to the Pan American Health Organization’s COVID-19 Deliveries in The Americas tracker, the AstraZeneca vaccine doses are currently in transit to the island and should arrive by 4:45 p.m.
Addressing the House of Representatives on Wednesday (April 21), Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton stated that the upcoming shipment from COVAX would be used to provide second doses of vaccineto those who would have received their first dose in March, in addition to acting as a first dose to members of the current priority group.
“Due to time constraints as to dose one and dose two, we have to now make provisions to provide the second dose to persons who received their first dose, using the certainty of the shipment (of 55,200 doses from COVAX) that we’re getting in hopefully 10 days or less,” said the minister.
He added, that “there are approximately 40,000 Jamaicans who received their first dose, who would be due for their second dose in the month of May…(as such) the intention is to secure from the incoming 55,000, 40,000” to innoculate these persons.
Persons within the current priority group who will be able to schedule their vaccination appointments to receive their first dose include: persons 60 years and older, members of the Jamaica Constabulary and Defense Forces, staff of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency and Customs Agency.
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