NAJ says politicians must declare readiness to take COVID jab

Newly installed Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) President Patsy edwards-henry is challenging the country’s legislators to lead by example as preparations are being made to administer the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines to Jamaicans in the coming year.

Edwards-henry’s call follows Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton’s announcement in Parliament on Tuesday that health officials will be among the 16 per cent of Jamaicans to first receive the vaccine as they are at “very high risk of acquiring and transmitting infection”.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer yesterday, Edwards-henry said while the majority of the NAJ membership is not averse to immunisation against the dreaded disease, Dr Tufton and other parliamentarians must come forward and — like Prime Minister Andrew Holness — state that they will also be among the 16 per cent.

“We are a little bit concerned as it relates to our leaders, because we hear that front line workers are supposed to be getting this vaccine. In our opinion, one of the most influential sets of people in this country is our politicians. We have not yet heard what they are doing — our minister of health, what is his take on taking the immunisation?” she said.

“Front line workers want to lead by example, but we also want our leaders to lead by example. So, it would be lovely if our minister of health would give a statement as to his commitment to taking the vaccine, his colleagues, and then I’m sure everybody else will fall in line,” the NAJ head said.

She mentioned that, presently, fewer than 50 per cent of health care workers opt for immunisation against the flu and noted that there is likely to be a similar stance as it relates to the COVID-19 vaccine.

She said the primary issue raised by her subordinates is the time it has taken for the vaccine to be developed.

On Tuesday, Dr Tufton said, while Jamaica is among the Caricom member states on whose behalf a downpayment has been made by the Caribbean Public Health Agency for equitable access to a safe and effective vaccine through the COVID-19 Global Access Facility (COVAX), the vaccines, such as those manufactured by Pfizer/biontech and Moderna and which are being administered in other jurisdictions, are not a part of the COVAX Facility and, therefore, are not being considered for administration here in Jamaica.

The vaccines to be administered here are reportedly at the third phase of trial.

“Like everything else, nurses are usually on the front line. We do know that the uptake, as we speak, for the regular flu vaccine among health care workers — which would include nursing staff — is less than 50 per cent. The plan is to immunise the first one per cent by the end of March in 2021 and front line workers are considered to be in that,” she said, adding that nurses, globally, make up the bulk of health care workers.

“It therefore means that a large number of my nurses will have to be immunised. We’ve started the discussions. We understand that nursing and medicine is evidence-based. So we are not opposed to getting immunised. We do have persons, however, who may have their view and we still do have persons who are wondering and still a little cagey as it relates to the timing for the trial of these immunisations. That’s a global concern because normally trials take a few years. So persons are a bit iffy as it relates to that, but we do have a proportion who are willing to take the immunisation,” Edwards-henry added.

At the same time, she said nurses will be in the vanguard of the effort to convince others to get immunised against the virus that has infected almost 70 million people and killed 1.58 million globally.

“It is the public health nurses who will be responsible for giving these immunisations. So our public health nurses are to have a meeting with the ministry officials to get on board; to find out what are their feelings as it relates to them administering the vaccine because a lot of people believe it is not safe. Nevertheless, we are not going to say we are not taking it. We are the front line workers and we will lead by example,” said the NAJ head.