The World Health Organisation (WHO) insisted on Thursday (January 6) that the initially dubbed ‘mild’ Omicron variant is resulting in a number of deaths across the world and should no longer be dismissed as just ‘mild’.

It was said that the latest and highly transmissible strain showed no correlation between positive cases and hospitalisations.

However, Tedros Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director general, while speaking at a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland, said the record number of people contracting the virus are leaving hospitals overwhelmed, a situation that rejects the initial view that there was no correlation between Omicron and hospitalisations.

“Just like previous variants, Omicron is hospitalising people and it is killing people. In fact, the tsunami of cases is so huge and quick, that it is overwhelming health systems around the world,” Tedros explained.

Last week, WHO received reports of COVID cases that amounted to just under 9.5 million. Compared to last week, the numbers increased by an unexpected 71 per cent.

Addressing the issue of vaccine inequity across the world, he urged the world to distribute vaccines more fairly in an effort to end the death and destruction of the COVID-19 virus.

Vaccination in Jamaica

Jamaica, however, does not stand at a disadvantage as it relates to vaccines. On multiple occasions the Health Ministry has been forced to dispose of vaccines that have sat idle and expired due to the low take-up within the island.

Speaking during Thursday’s (January 6) COVID Conversations press briefing, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, reported that, up to 5:00 pm that afternoon, some 1,229,977 doses of vaccines had been administered to the Jamaican public.

Tufton said 643,202 were first doses and 501,032 were second doses, while 76,783 persons received their single dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine and some 7,373 booster shots had been administered.

The Minister continued to encourage the public to get vaccinated detailing that of the record breaking 1,128 cases recorded on Wednesday, 35 are moderately ill, 23 are severely ill and three, critically ill.

Of the 35 moderately ill, 32 are unvaccinated, 19 of the 23 severely ill are unvaccinated, while all three critical cases are also unvaccinated.

Speaking on the ill and unvaccinated, Tufton shared: “We wanted to add this segment of the assessment because we need to continue to emphasise to Jamaicans that the persons who are most affected by COVID-19, irrespective of the strain, whether it is Delta or otherwise, are the persons who are not vaccinated and it is a sobering message to those who are not that you are in increased danger and you should make every effort to get vaccinated.”

Jamaica has available four vaccine brands – AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson and Sinopharm.