The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has recommended that only two groups in member countries be provided with an additional dose of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine known as a booster shot. They are immunocompromised persons, regardless of which vaccine they took, and individuals over age 60 who received an inactivated virus vaccine. Immunocompromised persons include cancer patients, HIV-positive individuals, and transplant...

Effective today (Tuesday, November 9, 2021), Jamaica will begin the administration of Pfizer first dose to children 12 years and older. The rollout will take place predominantly in schools. The Ministry, meanwhile, is continuing to administer the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines to persons 18 years and older. Members of the public are encouraged to get vaccinated to protect...

Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) continues its vaccination drive at the St. Andrew Revenue Service Centre (Constant Spring Office), on Friday, November 12, 2021, starting at 9:00 am. The vaccination drive is geared towards not only staff, but also their family members, and the public in getting their first and second...

After telling a Falmouth, Trelawny audience (Saturday, November 6) that Jamaica is on the verge of administering one million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, Minister of and Health Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, on Sunday, November 7, declared via his Facebook page that the mission has been accomplished. “Almost three weeks ahead of target, I am happy to announce that...

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says Jamaica has only discarded 12% of its Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, which is within the international best practice of 10-30%. He said while he would not make excuses for disposing of the medicine, refusal of persons to take the vaccine should not be seen as discouragement to acquire more, or...

Following the publication of an interim guidance on vaccination for immunocompromised individuals by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Health & Wellness has advised that it will effective immediately implement the recommendation and administer an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccines to Jamaicans, who are classified as immunocompromised according to WHO’s guidance. The WHO has defined immunocompromised individuals...

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is reporting that 1.2 billion doses of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines have, to date, been administered in member countries. Assistant Director, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr., says consequent on this, 46 per cent of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean had been fully vaccinated. He noted that at least 32 countries have...