Jamaica to Benefit from Initial 25 Mn Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines to Be Donated By US

  • Jamaica is poised to benefit from the United States’ donation of an initial 25Mn doses of COVID-19 vaccines that have been earmarked for deployment globally, to assist in easing challenges with access being experienced by a number of countries. 
  • This was disclosed by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, who said that representatives of the Government had discussions with US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, among other officials, during which assurances were given that the region would be assisted with vaccines “at a point in time”. 
  • Senator Johnson Smith indicated that Jamaica has also participated in discussions facilitated through CARICOM in relation to securing supplies from the initial 25Mn vaccine doses. “We have not yet had a confirmed quantity. But we continue to liaise as they work out the different formulas that they use, on guidance from Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA)… taking into consideration the rate of transmission which is taking place in the various islands,” she said. 
  • This bodes well for the country’s road to economic recovery, which will be dependent on the government’s ability to secure sufficient vaccines to inoculate the population and achieve herd immunity. This would allow for a faster pace of reopening of the economy and is essential if the country is to experience a V-shaped recovery. 
  • Jamaica’s vaccination programme, though underway, would need to pick up pace to allow for greater relaxation of restrictive measures intended to curb the spread of the virus, and foster a return to normality. To date, 1.1% Jamaican’s have been fully vaccinated and 5.5% have received one dose compared with 22.1% and 31.3% in Barbados, and 44.2% and 52.6% in the US.

(Source: JIS; NCBCM Research)