One caregiver will be allowed with each person aged 75 years and older who goes to the National Arena for the Government’s first coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination Blitz on today.

           It will take place between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. for elderly persons who have scheduled an appointment.

           Seventy doctors will be on location with public health nurses and community health aides. 

           Blitz is the first of its kind in the Government’s three-phased approach to rolling out the COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Programme. 

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, said:

 “We appreciate that some persons at that age (75 and over) can go on their own, but we also appreciate that more often than not, persons are going to require assistance, support of one form or another.” 

Dr Tufton was speaking at the Ministry’s virtual COVID Conversation, held yesterday.

            Minister Tufton said the Government intends to have more COVID-19 vaccination blitzes across the island.

            “The intention is to have them in every parish over an extended period of time, once we have the vaccines, so that we can do, as quickly as possible, more of the population,”

he said. 

            As of March 25, a total of 33,642 persons in Jamaica have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca. This represents 71 per cent of the target for the month of March. 

            The Ministry is currently in week three of the COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Programme and 22 per cent of the target has been achieved for this week.