Guardsman staff take the jab
Private guarding and security solutions company the Guardsman Group last Saturday partnered with the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) to host a COVID-19 vaccination blitz in Kingston.
The pop-up blitz, which forms a part of the group’s vaccination campaign for team members, enabled security officers, administrative staff and their family members to receive first or second doses of Astrazeneca as well as single-doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Vinay Walia, managing director of the Guardsman Group, shared that it prioritises its responsibility as a business, to ensure the health and safety of team members, clients and the general public.
“Whether we are front-line workers or work from the office, Guardsman Group’s workers are critical in the fight against this pandemic,” said Walia.
“Getting vaccinated will help protect our guard force and the potentially vulnerable persons they come in contact with every day in carrying out their duties. This partnership with the JDF will be expanded across the island in the near future as it provides a quick, easy and convenient opportunity for security officers, in particular, to get vaccinated,” added Walia.
Major Joel Nelson of the JDF said it “welcomed the opportunity to partner with Guardsman Group in protecting its security operators who are often times the first point of contact in doing business across the island. Bringing the vaccine blitz to their site plays an important role in vaccinating front-line workers at a faster pace”,
The JDF and Guardsman Group Foundation often collaborate security initiatives and corporate social responsibility projects targeting at-risk youth.
The facilitation of this COVID-19 vaccine blitz at Guardsman Limited’s premises off South Camp Road in Kingston forms part of a larger vaccination campaign by the Group.
An ongoing educational drive focused on the safety and efficacy of vaccines in drastically reducing severe symptoms, hospitalisation and death is being utilised to enable members of the group to make informed choices.
An “I Got Vaccinated Because…” social media campaign, which kicked off in early October, features Guardsman Group Chairman Kenneth Benjamin, who shared that his “entire family got vaccinated to save lives and play our part in keeping business recovery on track; I believe no one is safe until everyone is safe”.
Other Guardsman Group company directors, managers and security officers have been featured in the social media posts encouraging others to get the COVID-19 vaccine and sharing how their full-vaccinated status enables a safer way of life.
According to Walia, “clients have been increasingly demanding that all their service providers, including security officers and technicians that they come into contact with on a daily basis, are fully vaccinated to protect the lives of their staff, families and the wider public. As clients require vaccination compliance, it will become increasingly difficult for unvaccinated people to co-exist and find work around the world”.