Jamaica’s immunisation coverage is declining as more persons have become apathetic towards vaccines with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statistics obtained from the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) by Our Today show that the country’s childhood vaccination rate declined to between 50 and 60 per cent from January to July this year, with the majority of antigens also showing a decline in coverage when compared to the same period in 2022.

A breakdown of the statistics obtained by Our Today from the MOHW indicated that the immunisation coverage for antigens for the 2023 period are as follows:

Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR 1) – 52 per cent

MMR 2 is at 58 per cent.

Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine for Tuberculosis – 50 per cent,

Polio – 62 per cent

Hepatitis B, Hib, and DPT – 61 per cent each.

When compared to the same period in 2022, the statistics indicate that Polio and MMR vaccines are the only two vaccines that saw an increase in uptake. Polio increased from 58 per cent to 62 per cent, while MMR 1 increased from 48 to 52 per cent and MMR 2 from 54 to 58 per cent.

All other antigens saw a decline in coverage.

The decline in Jamaica’s immunisation rate is compared with the previous above-average coverage for childhood vaccines, which reached as high as 90 per cent.

However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic is being blamed for the significant decline.

According to the MOHW, difficulties with locating children to administer vaccines because they changed addresses and inability to reach their parents are major factors behind the decline. Further, it said the emergence of myths with the advent of the pandemic has resulted in hesitancy from parents and guardians.

To bridge the widening immunisation gap exacerbated by the pandemic, the health ministry said it initiated a comprehensive mop-up and catch-up vaccination campaign in October 2022. This campaign was extended into August to ensure that as many children as possible catch up on their missed immunisations.

The MOHW noted that while the numbers have decreased for some vaccines when compared to 2022, the ministry’s target coverage of 55 to 58 per cent was met for all antigens, except MMR 1 and BCG.

In the meantime, the health ministry is reminding parents to vaccinate their children, noting that vaccines provided by the Government are free at health centres islandwide. Additionally, clinic hours have been extended to cater to more children.