Jamaica’s Opposition Leader Mark Golding has labelled the Government’s plan to immunise 16 per cent of the population this year as “unsatisfactory”, arguing that the country’s flagging economic fortunes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic should provide sufficient impetus for it to make every effort to achieve herd immunity this year.

Golding’s comments came following the tabling of a National COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment and Vaccination Interim Plan by Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton at Gordon House in downtown Kingston, yesterday.

Dr Tufton, in unveiling the plan which was approved by Cabinet on Monday, said Jamaica is committed to vaccinating 16 per cent of the population in phase 1 of a four-phase distribution strategy, and will receive 935,676 doses of the approved COVID-19 vaccine through the COVAX Facility come April. That, he said, will cost the country some $3 billion.

“At the end of phase one Jamaica will acquire additional doses of the vaccines, based on locally relevant risk factors, vulnerabilities and the COVID-19 threat. The projection for the second phase is a further 16 per cent of the population,” the health minister said. A list of priority groups, he said, will be identified for the second phase. He said it is projected that in the second phase that vaccination will be offered to the general population.

Dr Tufton said 50 per cent of doses will be earmarked for priority groups and the other 50 per cent for the general population. He told the House that the procurement of the second phase of vaccines is expected to start in the last quarter of 2021, with second-phase vaccine distribution expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022.

The minister said at the end of the distribution of phase two vaccines, 32 per cent of the population will be vaccinated.

“Based on whether there is a continued threat, demand, cost and availability of vaccine, Jamaica will endeavour to enter into a third phase of vaccine procurement. A further 16 to 32 per cent of vaccines will be procured. Twenty-five per cent of this quantity will be reserved for priority groups and special populations that have not been previously vaccinated. The balance will then be made available to the general population,” he stated.

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