Elderly politicians to get coronavirus vaccine today

There is still no word about when Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton will take the COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, will begin today for parliamentarians and heads of ministries, departments and agencies who are 60 years and older.

Neither Holness, 48, nor Tufton, 53, fall in the categories of persons being vaccinated in the first phase of the inoculation programme that targets giving the jab to front-line healthcare workers and members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Jamaica Defence Force.

Jamaica's COVID-19 vaccination programme began on March 10. Former Prime Ministers PJ Patterson and Bruce Golding, and former Governor General Sir Kenneth Hall and former Leader of the Opposition, Dr Peter Phillips, were among the first set of persons to be vaccinated. More than 12,000 persons have been vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Jamaica yesterday became the first country in the Caribbean to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility. The country received 14,400 doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine as part of the first phase of deliveries. Jamaica is expected to continue receiving doses through May until it reaches 124,800.

Since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Jamaica, the country has recorded 31,305 confirmed cases and 492 deaths.

"Every dose arriving in Jamaica brings the promise of protection for more families from COVID-19 infection. Over time, this will bring the pandemic to an end and reduce its harmful secondary impact on children. They can return to school, access critical services and reduce their vulnerability to violence," said Mariko Kagoshima, UNICEF representative in the country.