COVID vax fears eased with 65,000 doses from Mexico
SCORES of anxious Jamaicans awaiting a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine should be breathing a sigh of relief following yesterday’s donation of 65,000 doses of the Astrazeneca brand from Mexico, calming fears harboured by many that the recommended time in-between first and second doses would have elapsed, thereby compromising the vaccination process.
According to Laura Elena Carrillo Cubillas, executive director of Mexican international cooperation agency Amexcid, Jamaica and other Caribbean countries will soon have little to worry about where COVID-19 vaccine supply is concerned, once the central American nation receives approval to manufacture and distribute their own vaccines that guard against the deadly disease which has claimed close to four million lives worldwide and just under 1,070 locally.
Just last week Wednesday, with roughly 14,000 doses remaining, frustration and anger engulfed the vaccination process as individuals who were not due second doses flocked vaccination blitz sites in Kingston and St Andrew. A number of people explained that they had received notifications — with time and date — from the Ministry of Health and Wellness prompting them to show up.
Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton told the Jamaica Observer yesterday at the Norman Manley International Airport, where the vaccines arrived, that by Monday, between 25,000 and 30,000 Jamaicans will be able to say they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Tufton appealed to people who are not due second doses to avoid vaccination sites in order to avoid chaos. For those due for second doses, Tufton advised that they book their date on the online platform provided by the ministry.
With a reduction in the hours of the daily curfew to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, as well as the arrival of additional vaccines, Tufton told the Observer yesterday that, with a slight relaxation of the containment measures, Government will place greater focus on surveillance and public education.
“The most challenging period has passed. What I am hoping for with this arrival is that persons will accept that there is no need to panic. We have about 25,000 to 30,000 Jamaicans who are due second doses if you go by the eight-week period. We are catering to those persons this weekend — Friday to Sunday. We are focusing on all age groups.
“After we have completed this weekend then we will make an announcement [to focus on] others who have not received their first dose yet. We are looking better. I think that we are almost at the point where we will not see the kind of shortage we have seen over the last week. This donation is timely and we expect in another week-anda-half to get another amount that should take us through to July. By August, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should kick in,” the minister said.
Regarding the relaxation of COVID-19 containment measures to take effect today, Tufton stated, “We have always said that with decisions there are risks and that is why the announcements are accompanied by protocols to observe. Persons who do not observe, or if there is indication from surveillance that we are getting increases in infection, then we have to pull back. Public health right now is about surveillance and messaging around observing the protocols and we have to work with other agencies for enforcement and we will signal any change that represents a threat to the Government.”
Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Senatorkamina Johnson Smith said the donation was initially to be 35,000 doses, but after additional networking, 30,000 more doses were added to the shipment.
“Our discussions started less than two weeks ago, when I had my first conversations with the Mexican ambassador who was in Mexico. We went right up the chain with the minister of foreign affairs, agreeing and seeking the president’s approval to release 35,000 vaccines to Jamaica.
“We continued to engage and, in fact, I had another conversation just last weekend and we agreed that we would get 65,000 vaccines and that Jamaica would not have to send for them which is what we had originally discussed, given that it was that urgent for us. But the Mexican Government understood the criticality of the time and offered to deliver them to us directly and in person. We are very grateful,”