Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton is once again encouraging parents to get their children fully immunised. The minister was speaking at an end-of-year press conference hosted by his ministry at its office in New Kingston earlier today (December 15).

Over the years, Jamaica has had a strong record of vaccination success among children, where, by age six, most children are vaccinated against several diseases.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the take-up rate for vaccines among children has dwindled.  The ministry is now facing an uphill task in convincing parents and guardians to immunise their children.

The situation is threating the country’s nearly immaculate record as it relates to childhood immunisation.

“One of the reasons why our life expectancy is so high, an average of 74/76, is because our human development index is largely linked to the health response where immunisation from a toddler until adulthood has given significant protection to the population and has helped to ward off these viruses,” Tufton said.

The minister said that Jamaica is about 95 per cent coverage for all childhood vaccines and that “there was a time when we were higher, we were probably at 99 per cent and so even a slight fall in that, is concerning”.

He added: “Preventable illness such as poliomyelitis, measles and rubella, we have achieved significantly in terms of immunisation against these diseases and it is important that we get back there.”

The health ministry has put several campaigns in place to help in educating parents on the importance of getting children immunised.

“We are going to have to do more work, particularly as it relates to our children. We don’t want it to get any worse than where we are, and we want to keep it has high as possible. Therefore, we encourage parents and guardians to see immunisation as a protective device. If you have concerns, please ask questions. We’ll be able to provide answers.”

Chief Medical Officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie said that several factors have contributed to the decline in vaccination take-up, specifically during the pandemic period.

“I think many persons were unsure how to proceed with the routine visits to the health centres and that might have impacted persons not coming out. I also think the negative attitude towards vaccination may have influenced some persons,” Bisasor-McKenzie told Our Today.

“We have to act quickly. That is why we’ve started on this campaign to reach those that have not received their vaccines, because we don’t want it to progress. We hope that the numbers are on their way up now and that we have passed the bend.”

She said the ministry was hoping that, with increased communication and increased awareness, people will start coming back to the health centres with their children to get their vaccines.

The ministry has also observed a decline in the uptake of certain vaccines that are available for children.

“Our biggest fall off has been with MMR1 and MMR2 (vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella) and so we really want to encourage parents to bring out their children at one year and one year and six months to get the MMR1 and MMR2.”

Bisasor McKenzie shared that many parents would do the two months, four months and six months visits but will then stop, thinking that the child is fully immunised.

“But children have to get the MMR at one year, so we really want them to take the kids at one year for their vaccines,” she said.

Parents are being reminded that vaccines are free at all public health facilities and adequate supplies of vaccines and tools to administer them are available across the island.

– Send feedback to [email protected]