Christopher Tufton | Impact of vaccine challenges – addressing the gaps

The consequences of a lack of equitable access to vaccines continue to be evident in Jamaica and in many other developing countries. The shortage of vaccines in developing countries, due partially to hoarding by developed countries, has shaped public perception in the national space and has led to fears that many people will not have access to vaccines in general and second doses in particular.

ACCESS AND CHALLENGES IN THE DOMESTIC SPACE

Approximately nine per cent – more than 220,000 people – of the Jamaican population has received at least one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. More than 50,000 are fully vaccinated. Vaccination rates are significantly higher than this in high-income countries, when compared to middle- and low-income countries, revealing the global disparities in the distribution of, and access to, vaccines. There are countries such as the UK that have vaccinated up to 80 percent of their adult population while only 0.9 per cent of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose. Other countries in the North such as the United States have administered at least one dose to more than half of their population.

We have seen in the last few days how important it is to ensure that countries have access to vaccines so that their citizens can have confidence in government policies and vaccine-implementation plans. Without this, there is likely to be panic, a rush on vaccine sites, and confusion. The problem that we encountered at vaccine sites this past week reflected not necessarily a lack of planning and communication, but rather is a reflection of the lack of availability of vaccines and the unpredictability of the expected supplies that we expected.

SECOND DOSES

Many Jamaicans fear that they will not be able to access a second dose of the vaccine at the end of eight weeks. The WHO recommendation is eight to 12 weeks between doses. Research published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet has also shown that the AstraZeneca is most effective when there is an interval of three months between doses. According to those findings the 12-week interval was 81 percent effective, compared with 55 percent when given fewer than six weeks apart. The researchers also found that a single dose of the vaccine was 76 percent effective three to 12 weeks after the shot was administered.

There are enough vaccines to ensure that Jamaicans who are due for second doses will be inoculated within this more effective 12-week period, so there is no reason for panic. Jamaica is also slated to receive 35,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from Mexico, which will further bolster our supply. We expect another supply (over 60,000) through the COVAX facility and over 280,000 of the Johnson and Johnson vaccines through the African Medical Supply Platform. Based on these projections, we are confident that our vaccination plans will continue as projected and will yield the expected outcomes.

The ministry will continue to implement plans for vaccination based on priority groups. This has also been an important component of our vaccination plans. The rationale, of course, is to ensure that our most vulnerable groups are prioritised. Although vaccination will be resumed for persons 50 years and older who are due their second dose, the expanded supply of vaccines will ensure that more persons are vaccinated in the coming weeks.

CORRECTING FAILURES

Recent attempts to correct gaps in multilateralism and address the challenges of vaccine equity should, hopefully, increase citizens’ confidence in their government’s vaccination plans and implementation efforts. G7 countries – the US, Canada, Japan, Britain, France, Germany, and Italy have pledged one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the rest of the world. The United States on its own also signalled its intention to distribute 25 million doses of vaccines to other countries, including those in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Vaccine inequity has affected many countries, and we are seeing some of the impacts in Jamaica despite our best efforts to source vaccines and communicate our implementation plans with the public. COVID-19 has had devastating effects on many countries, but it has also provided important lessons. We continue to learn as we move forward in implementing an effective and equitable vaccination programme here in Jamaica.

- Dr Christopher Tufton is Jamaica’s minister of health and wellness and member of parliament for St Catherine West Central. Send feedback to cctufton@gmail.com or columns@gleanerjm.com.