Jamaica’s government is pressing local councils, opposition parliamentarians and even the Girl Guides into its vaccination blitz, aiming to jab 65 per cent of the Caribbean country’s population by March 2022.
Only about 140,000 of Jamaica’s 3m people are fully vaccinated. Fewer than 400,000 have received even a first dose. The government aims to administer about 700,000 doses by the end of September in pursuit of its target.
“It’s an ambitious target, it’s not a target that will fail on account of a lack of vaccines,” said Chris Tufton, health minister. “If it fails, it would be on account of the low take-up of vaccines, which is why the approach around community-based intervention is important,” he said.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness this week will set up more mobile vaccination sites in a bid to significantly increase the number of Jamaicans inoculated.
Tufton said that the intervention forms part of efforts to deal with the third wave of the virus and mobilise as best as possible those people who otherwise would have to travel far distances to receive the…
