‘Don’t let our work in the last two years go to waste’ – Bisasor-McKenzie

WESTERN BUREAU:

Chief Medical Officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie has expressed distress and disappointment at the continued lack of vaccine take-up in the Jamaican populace, which she says is making the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ COVID-19 vaccination promotion since 2020 be for nothing.

While addressing Thursday’s first COVID Conversation press conference on the Zoom platform, Bisasor-McKenzie noted that some 74 per cent of the population has yet to receive vaccine shots against the virus, which has resulted in a total of 98,194 recorded cases to date.

“It is extremely disappointing to recognise that, after all the work that we have put in, now that Jamaicans have an option in terms of vaccination, they are not taking up the vaccine and protecting themselves, and therefore are putting us, our health system, and certainly the country, at risk again. Do not let the work we have put in over the last two years go to waste,” said Bisasor-McKenzie.

She also noted that the number of children who have been hospitalised with the virus will need to be closely monitored, while presenting data which indicate that, of the total number of confirmed cases to date, 5,533 infected persons are within the zero-to-nine age group and 7,554 are within the 10-to-19 age group.

Among the age groups in Jamaica’s vaccine coverage area, 22.5 per cent of children ages 12 to 19 are fully vaccinated, and 6.9 per cent have got one vaccine dose.

In the meantime, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton told the briefing that those who continue to refuse vaccination are making an irresponsible decision, as opposed to those who get vaccinated and should therefore be lauded.

As at January 5, 1,218,281 vaccine doses have been administered under the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ COVID-19 vaccination programme. Of that number, 639,642 are first doses, 496,298 are second doses, and 76,006 are single doses.