Second shot of vaccines now available

Jamaica received another 55,000 doses of the coronavirus (COVID-19) AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX Facility on Monday.

The shipment was met on arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport, in Kingston, by Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton.

The delivery of the vaccines, which was organised by the World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization, means the country is in a position to give the second dose to persons who got the first set of shots in March. The AstraZeneca vaccine is given in two doses, eight to 12 weeks apart.

"Because of where we now are in the vaccine programme, we now have to begin the second phase, which is to inoculate or vaccinate the 40,000 persons that would be due their second shot in the month of May," said.

"We have to firstly say to those persons, we now have your second shot, so prepare yourselves to come out in May, because we have it and we reserved it for you. There is a place at the table for you," he added.