55, 200 Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines Arrive in Jamaica

• Jamaica has received another batch of COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca. Some 55,200 doses of the COVID-19 Vaccine arrived in the island on Sunday, May 30. This batch represents another allocation from the COVAX Facility (COVID-19 Global Access). 
• The arrival of new vaccines will be added to the pool of vaccines being used in the National Vaccination Implementation programme to inoculate persons, who are due their second dose, as well as persons that have not yet been vaccinated. 
• Currently Jamaicans 50 years and older, healthcare workers, JCF, JDF, Jamaica Fire Brigade and staff members from PICA, Jamaica Customs Agency and Department of Correctional Services are eligible to be vaccinated based on the implementation plan. 
• As at Friday, May 28, 2021, approximately 155,683 Jamaicans have received the first dose of the COVID-19 Vaccine, representing 8% of the target population (1,924,759) while 22,206 persons have received their second dose. This 8% is below the vaccination rate in countries such as Bermuda (58%), Barbados (27%), Dominica Republic (30%), Guyana (24%), and Bahamas (12%). It is however above the 6.8% rate of vaccination in Trinidad and Tobago. 
• The arrival of the additional batch bodes well for the country’s trek to recovery and quest for herd immunity.

(Source: JIS)