Paramount Jamaica hosts vaccination blitz

For 17 years, Paramount Jamaica held an annual Christmas treat for the children of the Waltham Park community and its surrounding areas. The treat, which over 900 children from ages 3-18 years old attended, was a day of fun-filled activities including rides, competitions, spot prizes, games, food and drinks, as well as some performances from recording artistes. Unfortunately, this infectious Christmas spirit has been neutralised by the threat of COVID-19 resulting in the cancellation of the well-loved event.

This year, realising the urgency in helping the community and country return to a normal way of life, Paramount Jamaica partnered with the Ministry of Health and Wellness to host a vaccination blitz, in hopes of increasing the island’s vaccination count.

While the World Health Organization notes that vaccination is the best way to fight against hospitalisation and fatalities from COVID-19, the company’s representatives noted that in talking to persons on the ground, some had vaccine hesitancy due to lack of information or misinformation. In addition, most persons had many unanswered questions regarding the side effects of the vaccines. The Ministry of Health and Wellness had a team of representatives who addressed the concerns raised, which led to the successful vaccination of 178 persons. Each vaccinated person was greeted by Santa and his helpers with a goody bag. The goody bags contained non-perishable food items, electrolytes, water and painkillers.

“I’m happy that even in these polarised times, so many members of the community came out to be vaccinated. If, for that reason alone, the blitz was a success. It’s crucial that we come together to bring stability to our economy and our communities. Vaccination is one of the ways we can get back to being around each other in a way we’re accustomed to responsibly. As always, Paramount remains committed to playing its part in ensuring that we continue the healthy lifestyle campaign,” said Anna Maria Graham, a director of Paramount and the blitz’s lead planner.

Several sponsors assisted in making this initiative possible, including Cari-Med Limited, CMK Bakery, Daytona Sales, Derrimon Trading, Digicel, General Accident Insurance Company, Juici Patties, Kingston Hireage, Kirk Distributors, LeaPro Group Ltd, Likhal Group of Companies, Main Event, Manpower & Maintenance Services Ltd Group, Stationery and Office Supplies Jamaica Limited, Pepsi, Sampars and Seprod Limited.