Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says the first-dose administration of the Pfizer coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine will be suspended after Friday (September 10). The suspension is to ensure that there is sufficient supply to administer the second dose to persons who will become due shortly. Children between the ages of 12 and 18 years have been...

With data indicating that more than 95 per cent of persons hospitalised for the coronavirus (COVID-19) are unvaccinated, Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is reiterating his call for Jamaicans to get the jab to protect themselves and their loved ones. “Persons who experience serious, chronic, moderate to severe illness, those are the persons that are unvaccinated,” he pointed...

St. Elizabeth Health Services will be administering vaccines to members of the public at health centres throughout the parish on Saturday (September 11). Chief Public Health Inspector, Everod Lewis, said that the vaccination drive is part of ongoing efforts to increase the take-up of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine among residents. He is encouraging persons to visit the Black River, Santa...

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) member countries are being encouraged to increase investments in health systems, particularly at the primary level. Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne, says countries should consider investing a minimum six per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in health, with 30 per cent earmarked for the first level of care, incorporating clinics. Dr. Etienne maintained that this...

Members of the public who have been charged with criminal offences and are unable to afford private legal representation are being encouraged to access the services of the Legal Aid Council (LAC). Legal Officer with the LAC, Kerona Spence, told JIS News that every person who is charged with a crime or is detained has a right to legal representation....

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will be reviving its campaign aimed at educating livestock farmers about the African swine fever (ASF). The highly contagious and deadly viral disease affects both domestic and feral or wild swine of all ages. ASF is not a threat to human health and cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans. There is no treatment...

More than 40,000 students have, so far, received their first dose of the Pfizer coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. This was disclosed by Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Fayval Williams, who said that the vaccine take-up by students is “going very well”. Speaking with JIS News during a recent interview, Ms. Williams said she is optimistic that “we are going...