CMO warns against vaccine hesitancy

Jamaica's Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie has emphasised the critical role of vaccination in safeguarding public health and reducing the prevalence of preventable diseases on the island.

Dr Bisasor-McKenzie recently urged Jamaicans to take advantage of free flu vaccines available at health centres nationwide, highlighting the country's long history of immunisation as instrumental in eliminating life-threatening illnesses.

"We've eliminated polio, measles, and rubella from Jamaica because of vaccination. This has significantly reduced the strain on healthcare services and lessened the trauma families face when children fall ill," she stated.

Vaccines reduce risks of getting a disease by working with your body's natural defences to build protection. Bisasor-McKenzie said that parents have a responsibility to ensure that their children are vaccinated before entering primary school, as outlined in the country's immunisation regulations.

"These requirements have given Jamaica an advantage in protecting children from an early age," the CMO said.

Amid growing global vaccine hesitancy, Bisasor-McKenzie reinforced the importance of immunisation in protecting both individuals and communities. As the flu season continues, she encouraged Jamaicans to take the free flu vaccine, which targets the most common viruses circulating each year.

"Even if you contract the flu after getting vaccinated, the symptoms are less severe," she explained, emphasising that vaccination can significantly reduce the severity of illness. "We are urging everyone, particularly the elderly, children, and individuals with chronic illnesses, to get vaccinated."

She further explained that the flu vaccine is reformulated each year to combat the most prevalent strains. "It prevents you from getting infected with the most common viruses or, if you do get ill, it's not as severe as it could have been," she noted.

However, the CMO cautioned that vaccination alone is not enough. She stressed the importance of maintaining good hygiene practices to curb the spread of respiratory illnesses.

"We went through COVID and everybody was washing their hands, but, after that, we kind of fell down. We have to continue to do the basic things - handwashing, staying home when ill, and wearing masks in crowded spaces," she advised.

Parents, in particular, are urged to take extra precautions to prevent the spread of infections among children. "It's important that they don't spread the infection among other children because not only do the other children get ill, but they take it to their homes where there may be immunocompromised persons," she said.