Last week, Jamaica’s Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton announced that Jamaica was running low on COVID-19 vaccines and would have to have to pause the vaccination program as it awaits another shipment.
Following the news of a shortage, two countries in the Caribbean/Latin American region announced that they would be gifting vaccines to the government so it can continue its vaccination program.
Chairman of the National Health Fund, NHF, Howard Mitchell said that Mexico, which recently received a donation of vaccines from the United States, would be sharing 36,000 doses of vaccines with Jamaica.
Mitchell says Jamaica is set to also receive 3,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from St. Lucia this week. The NHF Chairman says the vaccine gifts were secured through the efforts of the Foreign Affairs Minister, Kamina Johnson Smith.
Johnson Smith stated, “Jamaica sincerely welcomes this generous offer from the United States of Mexico. It comes at a critical juncture and will be central to expanding our vaccination program, which has been impacted by global vaccine supply constraints.”
Both shipments would see Jamaica receiving some 39,000 vaccines by this weekend to continue its vaccination program. The government is also banking on an expected donation of vaccines in the coming weeks from the Joe Biden administration in the US.
