73,880 children vaccinated against COVID-19

Minister of Education Fayval Williams today disclosed that 73,880 students have been vaccinated against COVID-19 to date.

In a statement to parliament this afternoon, Williams noted that of that number, some 22,000 students have received both doses. 

The Government started offering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine last month to children 12 years and older.

Pfizer is the sole vaccine that has been approved for use in that age group.

Following the suspension of the administration of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, Williams urged stakeholders in the education sector to get vaccinated. 

The suspension is linked to a shortage and vaccination is set to resume when a shipment arrives from the United States in two to three weeks. 

“We have a collective responsibility to ourselves and our children to not only steadfastly continue to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols - handwashing, sanitisation, social distancing and wearing of masks - but to also make the decision to get the added layer of protection afforded from being vaccinated,” Williams said in parliament a short while ago. 

The education minister indicated that a continued priority area for this school year is finding and re-engaging all children in the education sector.

She said in the last academic year, 2,300 students were reached through a community mobile intervention and engaged in small groups three days per week. 

The sessions were facilitated by teachers and guidance counsellors for one hour and 30 minutes each day. 

“To support the mobile intervention, this year we will train and deploy intervention officers to work with schools to go 'yard-to-yard in every community' to identify those students we have not been able to reach, to document their circumstances in order to assist parents, the schools and the ministry to intervene so the child can have that chance that all children in Jamaica must have, that is, to be educated,” Williams underscored. 

Meanwhile, the education minister said more specialist teachers will be used this academic year in the areas of Mathematics and English Language. 

She said this initiative is expected to reduce the gaps in performance and significantly raise the level of knowledge among primary school students.

- Judana Murphy

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