Don’t be afraid of COVID vaccines – Health Ministry

As Jamaica prepares to welcome doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, as well as some from the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX), the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) is reassuring persons that they are safe.

"There is no need to be fearful of the vaccine, it is a safe product as attested by the experts," Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said while speaking at a virtual town hall meeting yesterday.

The vaccines are set to arrive on the island by mid-February. Approximately 140,000 doses of vaccines from COVAX and up to 249,000 AstraZeneca vaccines would be distributed.

"The delivery vaccine will be safe and at all our sites that we are going to deliver and we will have the necessary things in place in case any issue come up," said the island's Chief Medical Officer, Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie.

Negatively impacted

She also said there should no longer be any doubts about the vaccine, as thousands have received the treatment worldwide and haven't been negatively impacted.

"So far we have seen where this vaccine was given to millions of persons and we have not seen the kind of effects that some people were expecting. It has been found to be safe," she said, noting that persons who have recovered from the COVID-19 virus are also recommended to be vaccinated.

There will be no cost associated with the vaccination, which will be rolled out in phases. Healthcare workers are first in line followed by elders. Tufton had previously announced that some 125,000 Jamaicans could receive the vaccine in the late February going into March. While saying that vaccination is voluntary, he urged Jamaicans to have faith in the vaccine, saying it will do more good than harm.