Since August 19, Scotiabank – one of Jamaica’s large private employers – has been hosting special vaccination initiatives for its staff and family members who wish to be inoculated against the dangerous coronavirus (COVID-19).

On Wednesday (September 1), the bank hosted another major drive simultaneously in Kingston and Montego Bay, where more than 200 persons received both first and second doses.

All three approved vaccine brands, AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, were offered.

To date, the bank has also implemented several programmes geared at educating employees about vaccinations, including internal campaigns and live webinars with medical doctors.

“We care about the health and wellbeing of our team members and so providing access to information, opportunities for them to ask questions and then opt to get vaccinated in a safe, convenient and friendly environment have been very important to us,” shared Makeba Bennett-Easy, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Scotiabank.

She further noted that special access opportunities in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Jamaica Bankers Association (JBA), the Mona Aging & Wellness Centre (UWI Campus) and other private sector partners, were also offered for its staff across the island to be facilitated for vaccination.

The bank, which currently employs over 1,800 employees and serves hundreds of thousands of Jamaicans, continues to uphold its role as a responsible corporate citizen and joined the battle against the illness that continues to impact both lives and livelihoods.

“We are committed to supporting our team members as we navigate this pandemic and will remain focused on doing all we can to ensure their emotional, mental and physical wellbeing,” Bennett-Easy emphasized.

She also pointed out that since March 2020, some 30 per cent of Scotiabank’s Jamaican employees have successfully been engaged in work-from-home and the bank strictly upholds the recommended protocols.

Locally, Scotiabank has donated over J$25 million to support the responses of the local health and education sector to the threat of the virus.

Regionally, the bank has also donated millions across its footprint to assist with COVID-19 relief initiatives.