Senior health officer encourages public to get vaccinated

JAMAICANS ARE being encouraged to prevent the spread of infectious diseases by getting vaccinated against viruses such as influenza and the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Medical Officer of Health for Portland, Dr Sharon Lewis, said the elderly, vulnerable individuals with chronic illnesses, especially non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and pregnant women “are encouraged to get vaccinated”.

“We are to take the necessary precautions to prevent a spread of infectious diseases. Both the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are now available within the parish,” she told the recent monthly meeting of the Portland Municipal Corporation.

“Healthcare workers are also encouraged to get vaccinated because we are at high risk of exposure. Getting vaccinated will not only protect us but also our families, to whom we could possibly transit the viruses if we become infected,” she told the meeting.

Dr Lewis reported that dengue infection is on the decline, and for a long time it is the best position the parish has been in since an outbreak of the virus.

By the end of December last year, 644 suspected cases of the dengue fever were reported to the Health Department.

She said 124 or 19 per cent of the cases were positive.

“The number of dengue cases is trending down, so I encourage all of us to do what we can and continue to prevent being bitten by mosquitoes, and to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes, so that the cases will return to endemic levels,” she added.

The senior medical officer also called on residents to ensure the safety of vector-control workers when they visit communities to do fogging, and where they have concerns to channel these through public health inspectors who are stationed at clinics.

On the issue of illegal entry by Haitians, Dr Lewis said such happenings must be reported to the Health Department promptly, “so we can do the necessary assessments and take the appropriate action, as they can transmit, to the local population, infectious diseases that are endemic in Haiti”.

As at Thursday, January 11, the country had on record 1,534 confirmed dengue cases.

While dengue serotypes 2, 3 and 4 have been identified among the population, dengue serotype 2 remains the dominant strain.

At the same time, there have been a total of 19 dengue-related deaths – 13 classified as suspected and six as confirmed.