Children’s COVID-19 Vaccination Blitz Slated For August 21-24

Children, 12 years and older, with comorbidities are being targeted for the upcoming islandwide coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination blitz, slated for Saturday, August 21 to Tuesday, August 24.

Students, aged 15-18 years who will be sitting exit exams, will also be prioritised.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, made the announcement during a virtual press conference hosted by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information on Thursday (August 19).

The youngsters are to be inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine that arrived in Jamaica on Thursday (August 19), which were donated by the United States (US) Government.

Jamaica received 208,260 doses, which are part of a total allocation of over 600,000 vaccines.

Dr. Tufton, in encouraging parents to take their children to be vaccinated, assured that the Pfizer vaccine is proven to be safe and effective and is approved for administration to the youngsters.

“It has gone through all the clinical trials, all the expert assessments and is deemed to be safe for use in [children and teens] …hence the prioritisation of this particular brand on our young people,” he said.

Noting that 420,627 Jamaicans have been vaccinated to date, the Minister emphasised that the intention is to now ensure that young people form a core part of that category of vaccinated persons.

“The focus is on them as a priority this weekend, because we want to make sure that they have an opportunity, firstly, to secure themselves healthwise, but secondly and very importantly, to be able to resume face-to-face classes as quickly as possible, hopefully in September of this year,” he said.

Dr. Tufton also informed that teachers who wish to be vaccinated as well as parents who accompany their children to the vaccination sites will also be accommodated.

Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Fayval Williams, said staging the four-day vaccination blitz for children “is a very important development in our collective efforts to ensure that more of our people get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus”.

“Parents, now is your time to recognise the urgency of the time and take your children to be vaccinated. We expect you to turn out in your numbers across Jamaica. Help us to get our schools open again,” she said.

Parents are encouraged to accompany their children to the various vaccination sites that have been selected and to take along with them their government issued identification (ID) and a copy of their child’s birth certificate.

Persons without a copy of a birth certificate may take a verification letter signed by a Justice of the Peace (JP).

The vaccination sites, for which operations will vary on different days over the period, are:

• St Ann – Moneague Teachers College, York Castle, Aabuthnot Gallimore and Marcus Garvey Technical High Schools, and Turtle River Park;
• St Mary – St. Mary Anglican Church, Annotto Bay Sports Complex, St. Mary and Whycliff Martin (Brimmer Vale) High Schools, and Highgate Primary and Junior High Schools;
• Portland – Port Antonio, Buff Bay, and Fair Prospect High Schools;
• Elizabeth – Black River, Junction, Santa Cruz, Newell, Balaclava, Maggotty, Aberdeen, Elderslie, Southfield, Bellevue, and New Market Health Centres;

(more)

Vaccination Blitz…3

• Manchester – Mandeville Regional Hospital, Christiana Health Centre, and Cross Keys and Bellfield High Schools;
• Clarendon – Lionel Town and Spaulding Health Centres, May Pen Hospital Clarendon College, and Denbigh, Edwin Allen and Kellits High Schools;
• Kingston and St. Andrew – Jamaica College, St. Georges College, The Queen’s School, and Merl Grove, St. Andrew, and Excelsior High Schools;
• Catherine – Portmore HEART Academy, St. Jago Park Health Centre, and Eltham, Dinthill, Old Harbour, Jose Marti and Guys Hill High Schools;
• Thomas – Morant Bay, Yallahs, and Isaac Barrant Health Centres;
• James – Mount Alvernia High School, Salters Hill Baptist Church, Sandals Inn, and the Type V, Adelphi and Mount Carey Health Centres;
• Westmoreland – The Mannings School, and Negril and Savanna-la-Mar Health Centres;
• Hanover – Hopewell High School, and the Hopewell, Lucea, Sandy Bay and Green Island Health Centres;
• Trelawny – locations are to be announced.

The public will be advised of any adjustments to these sites. Persons can visit the Health Ministry’s vaccination site: https://vaccination.moh.gov.jm/types-of-vaccines/ for further information on the Pfizer brand and other vaccines.