By Juanique Tennant

With COVID-19 vaccine doses expected to finally arrive in the island tomorrow (March 4), Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness is putting measures in place to be as transparent and informative to the public as possible.

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, in outlining a detailed timeline for the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines and the processes that will guide the Government’s vaccination plan, said the plan included three phases.

In the plan, individuals identified as high risk or vulnerable to the virus will be given the vaccine first, followed by individuals working in sectors that are essential to economic activity, after which the vaccine will become accessible to all members of the general public.

APPOINTMENT SYSTEM TO BE UTILISED

In relation to how each individual, regardless of their priority grouping, will access the vaccine, Tufton said an appointment system would be utilised.

The first stage will see a public call being made for individuals within a particular priority group to schedule their vaccination appointments five days in advance, whether via telephone, through the public health department, website or in person, then later receiving confirmation of the details of their appointment three days before its scheduled date.

On the day of the appointment, each individual slated to receive the vaccine will go through five stages:

• Stage 1: Registration – Patient’s ID will be used to confirm the date and time of their appointment.
• Stage 2: Counselling – Patients will receive COVID-19 vaccination-related brochures and will be afforded the opportunity to ask any lingering questions prior to receiving the vaccine.
• Stage 3: Vaccination – Patient will receive the vaccination shot and a nurse will sign their vaccination card.
• Stage 4: Observation – Patient will be observed for 15-30 mins after receiving the shot for negative responses to the vaccine.
• Stage 5: Documentation – Patient will receive their vaccination card and an appointment to receive the second dose will be made.

To complete the process, a minimum of 35 minutes is expected. However, the possibility exists that a maximum of 52 minutes may be required for individuals with serious underlining health issues.

READ: Three-phased plan to see 65% vaccinated in 12 months