Opposition cries foul over Pfizer vaccine

Opposition spokesman on health Dr Morais Guy today said that his counterpart Dr Christopher Tufton was not being truthful and forthright with the country about the availability of the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

In a news release, Guy said that Tufton told Jamaicans last week in a well-published statement that the Pfizer vaccine was exhausted and unavailable for the second dose.

However, Guy said he had received credible information that the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine was administered yesterday at the Thompson Town Health Centre in Clarendon.

The opposition spokesman said he was in possession of vaccination cards issued at the Thompson Town Health Centre which show the batch number and expiry date of the Pfizer vaccine that was administered to individuals at the health facility.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness Dunstan Bryan has explained that more than 800 doses of the Pfizer vaccine are currently available for administration on a case-by-case basis.

The disclosure came as Bryan appeared before parliament's Public Administration and Appropriation Committee (PAAC) today.

Last month, the health ministry told the public that the administration of the Pfizer vaccine would be postponed effective September 15 until a second shipment arrives from the United States.

Since then, it has been pushing Jamaicans to take the Johnson and Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines.

Bryan told members of the committee that there was a balance of 890 doses of Pfizer present in Jamaica.

“We have a few hundred doses of vaccines (Pfizer) that are left to the discretion of the regional health authority in terms of the administration of them because we recognise that we no longer have the capacity to meet everybody's needs...” said Bryan.

He said a case-by-case position is made on the ground regarding the Pfizer jab and a determination is made by officials in the various parishes on how to dispense with the remaining balances of the vaccine.

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.