The Best Vaccine Is The One Available – Tufton
By: , August 25, 2021
Photo: Rudranath Fraser
Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (right), addresses a press conference providing an update on the National Vaccination Implementation Plan. The press conference was held on August 19 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston. Also pictured are President of the Jamaica Evangelical Alliance, Reverend Dr. Peter Garth (left), and President of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Pastor Everette Brown.The Full Story
Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, is advising persons not to delay in getting vaccinated against the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Vouching for the safety of all the vaccines brought into the country, he noted that all the vaccines have been subject to clinical trials and the results reviewed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Persons have said to me that they are waiting. From a policy perspective, we say the best vaccine is the first one that you get and from a policy perspective we only bring vaccines into the country that have gone through clinical trials and have passed all the clinical tests, so they are safe, and that has been our policy for a very long time,” he said.
The AstraZeneca and Pfizer brands are currently being used. A shipment of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine arrived in the island Monday (August 23).
Dr. Tufton, who was speaking at a recent press conference, again urged persons who have not yet done so to get vaccinated to ease the burden on the health sector, which he said is overwhelmed by the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.
“The public health system is fatigued, tired, worn out but are very dedicated, committed to what they are doing… in service to country even at the expense of their personal health and wellness, family and all the other issues they are affected by. As a country, we can do them a big favour and show support by taking the vaccines, observing the protocols to ease some of the burden that they have to confront,” he emphasised.
Director of Family Health Services in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Melody Ennis, said that all vaccines procured by the Government of Jamaica have been approved by the relevant regulatory authorities and have been found to prevent severe symptoms of the virus.
“All the vaccines prevent severe, illness, hospitalisation and death from COVID, and as such, there is no better one. It is the one that is available that is best. They all will do that… whichever vaccines we have here in country, persons are encouraged to take them,” she urged.