Health Minister Reminds Persons to Still Observe Protocols After First Jab

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, is reminding persons who have received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine that they must continue to observe protocols to prevent catching the coronavirus (COVID-19).

“Having the vaccine doesn’t mean you won’t get COVID-19. It is how your body responds to that,” Dr. Tufton said.

“Within the window (time between inoculation and effectiveness) for the vaccine to take effect, COVID-19 will have the same impact as if you never took it, which is why you need to observe the protocol,” he added.

This window, Dr. Tufton pointed out, is between 21 and 28 days.

The Minister was speaking with the media at the Norman Manley International Airport on Monday (April 26), after the arrival of 55,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“It is conceivable that you can get the vaccine today and in a week’s time, if you do not follow the protocol, you can pick up the virus somewhere, because you may be under a false assumption,” Dr. Tufton said.

The Minister emphasised that the second dose is fundamental to the full treatment of persons who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“Having had the first of a two-dose treatment, you have about a 76 per cent protection in the first month after the first dose, but then that decreases over 120 days to as low as 30 per cent, which means you are still at risk, and that risk becomes greater over a three-month period, until you get the second dose, which then brings you back up and gives you additional protection,” he said.