Sensitising J’cans to the vaccine is critical
THE EDITOR, Madam:
THE MINISTRY of Health and Wellness has embarked on a multimillion-dollar COVID-19 vaccine sensitisation project. The public is curious to know if this project is necessary or if the cost is justifiable. Ensuring that the vaccine reaches everyone is the solution, but it does present some problems.
We would be hard-pressed to believe that sourcing the vaccine in a competitive market would be the most challenging aspect on the road to vaccination. However, the most challenging will be to keep the vaccines in the required temperature till it is administered to the population. If we look at parts of the United States of America, misinformation about the vaccine runs rampant and uncontrolled.
The sensitisation is important because much of Jamaica is not educated on the vaccine. There is that part of the population who will be most vulnerable to misinformation by the nowfamous “WhatsApp Aunties” who send every conspiracy-laden chain message in the family groups. Another concern is that some crafty people may use this opportunity to trick, defraud and take advantage of persons who may be unaware of the vaccine plan, and find some way to create confusion.
It is important that we are not penny-wise and pound-foolish. COVID-19 is destroying livelihoods and putting the entire economy under stress. The Government needs to ensure that the money that is being spent for the sensitisation is used effectively. A positive reception to the vaccine is key to the quick recovery of the economy. Whereas if we allow disinformation to trump the campaign, we may never get an opportunity to catch up with the facts.
My advice to the Ministry of Health is to run the sensitisation campaign, but ensure we get value for money, keep detailed documentation for the scrutiny that is sure to come, and lead us to a better ‘new normal’. We can see that a massive sensitisation campaign is needed not only to educate Jamaicans, but also to convince Jamaicans that the vaccine is safe and effective.
ADREAN GENTLES
‘A positive reception to the vaccine is key to the quick recovery of the economy.’