Letter of the Day | Mandatory vaccination is needed now

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Jamaica, which is a small country with limited resources at its disposal, is in danger of being overwhelmed with the coronavirus if the cases continue to rise at its current rate. Its hospitals, which are already under immense pressure, cannot deal with mass infections, and this deficiency could see a rise in the death rate.

To complicate things even more, the mechanisms to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, namely vaccination and masking, are being approached with hesitancy and scepticism, fuelled in part by misinformation and conspiracy theories.

Further, the emergence of coronavirus variants, which are more viral than the original strain, should be of concern, as they spread faster and more people can get sick. Fortunately, none has been detected on Jamaica’s shores as yet, but we cannot wait until that time; Jamaicans must take the necessary precautionary measures to avoid contracting the present strain and its mutated variants by taking the vaccine and observing the protocols outlined by the Government.

Jamaicans must understand that there cannot be normality in the public space unless COVID-19 is contained and hospitalisation is reduced. At present, schools, entertainment, and commercial industries are being affected, and if the situation continues on the present trajectory, this could be very devastating to a country that’s operating in a tight economic environment.

Some people might argue that in some instances, particularly in a public health emergency, certain rights need to be abridged and abrogated for the greater good. This might very well be the device that is well suited for the present situation, hence my call for mandatory vaccination with immediate effect.

This is a controversial initiative that must be considered, within the context of our present challenges.

That said, however, I truly hope we will not get to that point and instead get absolute cooperation from the Jamaican people.

ERROL MCLEISH