JAMAICA-Authorities step up Ebola preparedness, report measles vaccination gains.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica has stepped up Ebola preparedness and monitoring in response to international developments, while continuing efforts to maintain high measles vaccination coverage, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie says.

Speaking at a recent post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, Bisasor-McKenzie said the Ministry of Health and Wellness had reviewed clinical management protocols, isolation facilities and other emergency response arrangements to ensure the country was prepared to respond to a potential threat.

She said the ministry had been monitoring the international situation since Ebola was declared a public health emergency of international concern, drawing on preparedness measures and lessons from the major outbreak in 2015.

The ministry is also monitoring developments in Kenya, where a new case had been reported, as part of its ongoing surveillance activities, the CMO said.

On measles, Bisasor-McKenzie reported that Jamaica has maintained vaccination coverage above 95 percent across all antigens, despite disruptions to immunization programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said Jamaica had sustained comparatively high coverage while several other countries recorded declines in vaccination rates.

Coverage for the first and second doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine increased from about 89 percent to 93 percent last year, she added.

According to Bisasor-McKenzie, the improved coverage places Jamaica in a favorable position to limit the risk of local measles transmission if cases are imported.

She said the ministry continues to monitor reports of fever and rash through its routine disease surveillance system, with testing carried out where necessary to investigate suspected cases.

The CMO said continued monitoring of international disease developments, preparedness planning, surveillance and immunization remained important to protecting the Jamaican population.