14,400 Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccines To Arrive Monday
By: , March 12, 2021
Photo: Donald De La Haye
Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, addressing a virtual press conference on March 11.The Full Story
The 14,400 doses of the COVID-19 vaccines, which Jamaica has procured under the COVAX Facility, are now scheduled to arrive in the island on Monday, March 15.
The shipment was initially expected to arrive on or before March 11.
“So next Monday, we will get our first shipment from COVAX and our second overall, which will allow us to continue the programme,” said Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, at the weekly COVID Conversations virtual press conference on Thursday (March 11).
On Monday (March 8), Jamaica received its first 50,000 doses of vaccines, donated by the Government of India. The country started administering the vaccine on March 10, exactly one year after the first case of the virus was confirmed in the island.
Jamaica, like many other developing countries, joined the COVAX facility as part of a strategic approach to ensure access to safe vaccines at a reduced cost.
Through the facility, Jamaica has been able to negotiate a dosage price of US$10.55, reduced from the going average price of US$35.00. This price is negotiated for 16 per cent of the population and represents phase one of Jamaica’s vaccination rollout plan.
Minister Tufton said the 14,400 doses will represent the first instalment of a total of 124,800 doses to be received through the COVAX facility. He said the remaining allocations are to be delivered by May 2021.
“I know persons are asking why the shifting dates but we don’t determine the dates. We paid into a pool, that pool is managed and we are told when the vaccines are available. It is really up to the programme we have bought into,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Dr. Tufton informed that another 1.8 million doses of vaccines are to be supplied to Jamaica, starting in April, under the African Medical Supply platform.
“That, as I understand, is still on track. If anything changes, we will let you know,” he said.
Dr. Tufton said that the mandate of the Government remains to identify and source four million doses of vaccines by March 2022, which is expected to inoculate 65 per cent of the population.