83,828 Jamaicans Vaccinated During Weekend Blitz

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, is reporting that 83,828 Jamaicans received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine to protect themselves against the coronavirus (COVID-19), during last weekend’s vaccination blitz.

He noted that the number exceeded the 75,000 target by 12 per cent.

“It was a proud moment to see Jamaicans from all walks of life participating in this process for their own benefit and the benefit of their family and the country. It represented an all-hands-on-deck approach,” he said.

Dr. Tufton was addressing the Ministry’s virtual COVID Conversations press conference on Wednesday (April 14).

He commended the various entities that provided support to the Ministry during the blitz events, including the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).

He said that the take-up of the vaccine shows that Jamaicans are interested in the programme.

He noted that the Ministry has learnt a lot from the blitzes and the lessons will inform planning for upcoming events in another two weeks.

“We are going to assess and return with an even better plan, so that in the next blitz, we will be in a much better position to make it more efficient,” he noted.