More Young People in Westmoreland Taking the Vaccine

Medical Officer of Health for Westmoreland, Dr. Marcia Graham, is reporting that more young people in the parish have been taking the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine.

In an interview with JIS News, Dr. Graham noted that the trend is encouraging, as there has been an increase in the number of young people getting critically ill due to the virus.

“Earlier in the pandemic, the younger persons were well enough to be managed at home. We are now having to find hospital beds for more and more young persons, and unfortunately, we are also seeing younger persons dying from COVID-19,” she said.

“I want to appeal to persons of all ages, especially our younger persons, to make use of the opportunity to avoid a hospital stay by getting yourselves vaccinated against COVI’D-19.

“This, of course, is in addition to (adhering) to the protocols – wearing your mask correctly and consistently, practising your hand hygiene and keeping a physical distance between yourself and others, especially when you are doing activities where you have to take your mask off,” Dr. Graham advised.

Meanwhile, she told JIS News that some 10,365 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Westmoreland and 6,197 second doses since the start of the vaccination programme on March 10.

She noted that approximately five per cent of the population in the parish has been fully vaccinated.

“We had a blitz operation on July 31 to August 1…and over that two-day period we administered 797 first doses and 29 first doses. This is less than we would have anticipated.

“I am happy to say though, that [up to August 11] we would have given 3,519 first doses and 228 second doses, and so we see that the numbers are picking up and I just want to encourage everyone, once you are 18 years old or over, we have a first dose of [COVID-19] vaccine for you,” Dr. Graham said.