KINGSTON, Jamaica – Cabinet has approved a National COVID-19 Deployment and Vaccination Interim Plan that outlines the overall strategies for the deployment, implementation, and monitoring of COVID-19 immunization.
The plan was tabled in the House of Representatives on Tuesday by Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Christopher Tufton, who said that phase one of the program is expected to cost the government J$3 billion (US$20.7 million), which covers, among other things, the vaccine purchase, supply chain and cold storage items, personal protective equipment (PPE), transportation, staff costs including training, and public education and sensitization.
The National COVID-19 Deployment and Vaccination Interim Plan cover planning and coordination of vaccine introduction; legal and regulatory framework; phased approach of COVID-19 vaccination introduction; target populations and vaccination delivery strategies; human resources management and training; supply chain management; risk assessment and mitigation strategies; vaccine program communication; vaccine safety monitoring; and COVID-19 vaccine program monitoring and evaluation.
However, the Health Minister noted that there is still some uncertainty about the type and quantity of vaccine/vaccines that may become available to Jamaica.
“Accordingly, this plan is developed based on currently available information and the assumptions the Government can make, based on the currently available information. There will be future updates to the plan as new information becomes available,” he said.
Jamaica has committed to vaccinating 16 percent of the population in phase one and will receive 935,676 doses of the approved vaccine through the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility. Based on the COVAX vaccine delivery schedule, the country is to receive 292,399 doses starting in April.
The first phase will cater to the vaccination of vulnerable and priority groups in the population, and the second phase will see the introduction of vaccines to the general public. In each subsequent phase, more of the general population will have access.
Dr. Tufton told the House that the Government intends to continuously seek out supplies of vaccines to ensure that as many Jamaicans as possible, at any given time, can be protected.
“We will seek additional doses of the vaccines based on locally relevant risk factors, vulnerabilities, and the COVID-19 threat. The initial projection for the second phase is a further 16 percent of the population,” he noted.
Minister Tufton said the second phase might see the vaccine becoming a part of the routine immunization schedule and procurement absorbed into the regular budget for immunizations.
“This will have to be expanded based on demand and availability of funds,” he noted.
Meanwhile, the Health Minister noted that acceptance and uptake for the approved COVID-19 vaccine in Jamaica are critical in slowing the spread of the infection, reducing morbidity and mortality, and rebuilding the economy.
He said that a robust public education and sensitization campaign would be implemented by the Ministry aimed at increasing acceptance and uptake of the vaccine.
“The purpose of the public education and sensitization campaign is to foster the trust of the vaccine, dispel myths and misinformation, provide factual and accurate information about vaccination and gain public input in the vaccination strategies to be employed,” Dr. Tufton said.
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