After high of weekend blitz, CMO reports low vaccination turnout
Juanique Tennant / Our Today
Almost two weeks after the country celebrated the success of the Ministry of Health and Wellness’s four-day vaccination blitz, Chief Medical Officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie is reporting with concern a downturn in the vaccination turnout for priority groups.
Addressing Thursday’s (April 29) COVID Conversations, Bisasor-McKenzie noted that, “starting on the 26th of April up until now, we’ve had a very low turnout for these vaccines”.
She added, that “we think that some persons may be believing that the vaccines are reserved for second doses and are not quite sure” that they are eligible to receive their first jab.
Given this possibility, the CMO stated, “I just want to announce it again that the appointment system is open. Persons can call the hotline to make an appointment or they can go on the website to book an appointment, or they can call the health department”.
Though the ministry has reserved 40,000 doses of a recent shipment of 55,200 AstraZeneca doses for persons who received their first jab in March to get their second dose, the CMO said there are still available vaccine doses, both from this shipment and in storage, for members of the current priority group to be inoculated.
At present, the priority group eligible for first dose vaccinations include persons 60 years and older, members of the security forces, Jamaica Fire Brigade, Passport Immigration, and Citizenship Agency, and Jamaica Customs employees.
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