The shipment of 65,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines, donated by the Government of Mexico to Jamaica will facilitate the staging of another blitz this weekend to inoculate persons who are due their second dose.
Jamaica’s Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon Christopher Tufton, made the disclosure at a press conference held at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston on Wednesday (June 30), shortly after witnessing the arrival of the shipment.
“This weekend’s blitz, from Friday to Sunday, possibly Monday, will only be for persons who fall in that eight-week or over period, because we need to clear that backlog,” he said.
“The plan is to administer second doses only to those persons who are due their second dose,” he stressed.
Dr. Tufton noted that about 257,000 doses of vaccine have been administered, to date, with some 173,000 persons getting their first dose and 84,000 receiving second doses. He said some 25,000 to 30,000 persons are now due their second dose.
Dr. Tufton thanked the Government of Mexico for the donation.
“We appreciate the effort, and this, again, is an indication of the strength of the friendship [between Jamaica and Mexico],” he said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, who was also at the airport, expressed appreciation for the donation on behalf of Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness.
Executive Director, Mexican Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AMEXCID), Dr. Laura Elena Carrillo Cubillas, said the donation is a token of her country’s appreciation and respect for the Jamaican people.
“Mexico has long historical ties across the Caribbean Sea especially, with your country. That’s why we recently celebrated more than half a century of diplomatic relations that have brought our people closer, facilitating a better understanding of a rich cultural and artistic heritage, while allowing us to cooperate on important regional and international initiatives,” she said.
