Holness praises low vaccine hesitancy in his constituency
Published:Monday | September 13, 2021 | 12:08 AMJudana Murphy/Gleaner Writer
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has asserted that there isn’t a great deal of vaccine hesitancy in his St Andrew West Central constituency.
He said constituents are not “hardened opposed” to getting vaccinated against COVID-19, but have taken on a wait and see approach.
Holness lauded those who came out to get vaccinated as heroes and urged them to become COVID-19 vaccine ambassadors in their communities.
Director of security and transport in the health ministry, Clifton Rodgers, shared that several people at the site agreed on one brand of vaccine while filling out the form on the outside and then changed their minds once they advanced in the vaccination process.
In response, Holness said it was evident that people are researching, talking among themselves and getting advice from relatives overseas.
PUBLIC-EDUCATION CAMPAIGN
“The first vaccine you get is the best vaccine. That is the one that will save your life,” Holness said during a vaccination mobilisation and public education campaign last Friday.
Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton informed, last Thursday, that the Mu variant of COVID-19 is in Jamaica. Of 90 samples tested, 26 were positive for the variant. The Delta variant remains the predominant strain among the population.
With the confirmation of the Mu variant of COVID-19 in Jamaica, Holness was asked if stricter measures can be expected.
“We cannot continue to lie on these blanket, non-clinical measures such as restricting gatherings and movement. They have a devastating impact on economies, on lives, on livelihoods, on the mental health of the people. It is already starting to affect the mood of the people. People are having a pessimistic outlook on life and once that begins to seep into the psyche of the population, all kinds of things can flow from that,” he said.
He explained that the government has to be careful not to create an atmosphere where people are fearful or where there is panic because they have been locked in.
Holness said it requires each citizen to take greater responsibility for their health and safety. The Prime Minister urged Jamaicans to eat right, exercise, find safe ways to socialise and get vaccinated.
“While they do work in bringing down a spike, if you keep them longer than is necessary, they can have negative impacts otherwise,” he added.
Meanwhile, Holness said a large factor impacting overall vaccination take up is a lack of convenience.
“People want to be able to leave their work or leave what they’re doing, spend 30 minutes maximum and be out of there. Right now, people are having to spend an hour, probably two hours and if it is overcrowded, I’ve been told people are spending up to three hours,” he said.
He added that the main objective of the Gordon Shirley-led COVID-19 task force is to reduce wait time and make vaccination more convenient.