Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, says he is anticipating higher acceptance and uptake for islandwide coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination blitzes, as additional stakeholders come on board to assist in encouraging more persons to get inoculated.

Tufton gave members of the media his predictions during Saturday’s (April 3) hugely successful vaccination blitz at the National Arena in Kingston.

“We have included in the mix, the very important role of the political representatives… and the intention is to roll that out across the country where, in another week or so, we are going to have a national blitz in every parish. Essentially, what it is about is to mobilise all stakeholders, to encourage in the first instance, our vulnerable groups to be a part of the… immunization blitz,” he said.

At the end of the blitz’s second staging, 1,038 Jamaican persons received the first of two doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

The blitz is the mass vaccination plan being implemented by the Ministry of Health and Wellness to inoculate 1,000 persons in a day at a single location.

Minister Tufton noted that while Saturday’s turnout was affected by rainy conditions, there is also a “strong vaccine hesitancy” in the country towards COVID-19 vaccinations.

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Consequently, he said the Government is working with several stakeholders, including the church and senior citizens groups, to assist in getting persons inoculated.

“What we really want to get out of this is a unified message to the country, to the people of Jamaica that this is a risk that affects all of us and so it requires a solution from all of us,” he emphasised.

Tufton also expressed gratitude to several parliamentarians whom he said assisted with Saturday’s proceedings.

He further noted that a key player in the mobilisation effort was fellow minister and Member of Parliament for Kingston Western, Desmond McKenzie, who he said was instrumental in getting approximately 80 of his constituents vaccinated.

For his part, McKenzie said he was optimistic that the local government ministry’s involvement in the vaccination drive “will go a far way in enhancing the programme.”

He advised that he will be enlisting the assistance of all 63 Members of Parliament and 230 Municipal Councillors across Jamaica in further bolstering the initiative.

McKenzie further informed that on Tuesday, April 6, he will be meeting virtually with the mayors, inspectors of poor, and other key ministry stakeholders, adding that Health Minister Tufton will also be participating.

“I am giving the full commitment of Local Government in the process as we try to vaccinate as many Jamaicans as we can,” he said.

McKenzie encouraged Jamaicans not to dispel the false narrative regarding COVID-19 vaccination, stressing that “I took it”, adding that he experienced mild side effects for a few days.