COVID-19 vaccination given to over 220,000 Jamaicans
More than 220,000 Jamaicans have received at least one dose of the AstraZeneca coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine.
Of this number, 51,908 persons are fully vaccinated, while 168,758 have received their first dose of the vaccine.
Director of Family Health Services in the Ministry, Dr Melody Ennis, provided the latest vaccination figures during the virtual COVID Conversations press conference on June 17.
Ennis said that overall, 6.2 percent of the population had received the vaccine so far.
“We do have a far way to go to get to herd immunity. However, we are quite grateful because in the vulnerable group, persons over the age of 80 years, we have vaccinated some 20 percent of those persons, and just over 10 percent of those persons have also received their second dose,” she said.
Ennis said, “Please be reminded that persons are not fully protected until after they have received both doses and, of course, this is 14 days after the second dose. Even though you have received both doses and you are fully protected, the protocols remain in place.”
The protocols include wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, hand sanitizing, and proper handwashing.
She said that the Kingston and St Andrew region accounts for most vaccinated persons, followed by St Catherine, St James, and Manchester.
“For Kingston and St Andrew, although they have vaccinated the lion's share of the population, there is still just about 12 percent of persons being vaccinated and only about 3.3 percent of the population of Kingston and St Andrew that is completely vaccinated,” she said.
Ennis informed that persons within the age range of 70 to 79 had received most vaccines, numbering 23 percent of persons vaccinated. The 60 to 69 age category accounts for approximately 17 percent.
“The majority of persons are indeed in keeping with our program to vaccinate the elderly, which are the persons mainly with the underlying conditions that have a worse outcome when they contract the COVID-19 illness,” Ennis noted.
She said the second-dose blitz activities this weekend aims to increase the number of people who have been vaccinated. The blitz activity will be undertaken in nine parishes at 22 sites.
Jamaica started its vaccination program on March 10, 2021.
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