Money found to buy vaccines for two million people
The Jamaican Government has identified money to buy enough vaccines to inoculate at least two million persons on the island.
Dr Nigel Clarke, the country’s finance minister, said that the money will be made available under the newly- established Social and Economic Recovery and Vaccine Programme (SERVE) to make the attainment of herd immunity in a single fiscal year feasible.
“The rest is up to the availability of supply, the logistics and distribution, all of which the minister of health will soon address,” Clarke said.
HERD IMMUNITY
Scientists typically estimate that a vaccination rate of about 70 per cent is needed for herd immunity, where entire populations are protected against a disease. Health officials locally say they are still in the process of doing various modelling to determine how many Jamaicans will need to be immunised in order for the country to attain herd immunity. The country had set a target of immunising 16 per cent of the population this year. However, Dr Christopher Tufton, Ministry of Health and Wellness, said that a significantly greater portion of the population — up to two-thirds — could be getting the jab this year.
Clarke yesterday announced the $60-billion SERVE programme. He said $6 billion will go towards the Ministry of Health and Wellness for the purchase of vaccines.
“Based on current prices and supply, we are making provisions for the Government of Jamaica to be able to finance the procurement of, and completion of the coronavirus vaccination of two million Jamaicans, double-dose or single-dose depending on the specific vaccine requirements,” Clarke told parliamentarians.