Jamaica receives 50 000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from India

Jamaica a short while ago received its first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The 50,000 doses of Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine touched down at the Norman Manley International Airport at about 4:45 p.m., this afternoon.

The vaccines were donated to the island by India.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, were on hand to thank Indian High Commissioner to Jamaica, His Excellency Ambassador Masakui Rungsung, for the donation of the vaccines. 

"I wish to take the opportunity to express our gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India," Holness said in a statement a short while ago.

The vaccines were initially scheduled to arrive on Thursday March 4, but was delayed due to logistic challenges.

Last week, the Government has announced that it has reached a deal with the African Medical Supply Platform for the delivery of 1.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, starting next month.

The announcement comes as the Holness administration is under pressure to commence vaccination against the disease that has caused the public-health system to creak under record hospitalisations and infections in February.

Another 14,400 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine procured under the COVAX Facility will arrive here on March 11 from Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The government is seeking to get 3.5 million doses of vaccines which will be used to inoculate 65% of the population.

Health care workers, persons 60 years and older, members of the army, police, firefighters, and members of the Department of Correctional Services and the Jamaica Customs Agency will be among the first groups to get the jab.

To date, Jamaica has recorded over 26,000 cases of COVID-19 and over 400 deaths.

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