Samuda urges Warmington to lobby for increase vaccination access

Since the arrival of vaccines in the country, Old Harbour has been one of the select locations for vaccination blitz, conducted twice weekly for the most part based on availability.

However with crowds estimated in excess of 500 persons turning up en mass for the jab on these blitz days, more problems have emerged for the Ministry of Health. Such large crowds have made covid19 protocols redundant given the small size of the Old Harbour Lions Civic Centre.

For many persons the risk is not worth taking based on the highly contagious nature of the coronavirus, while others are turned away because time constraints or the unavailability of vaccines.

It is against this background that People’s National Party’s Old Harbour North Division caretaker, writing on his personal Facebook account, said: “Calling on MP Everald Warmington to engage the Ministry of Health to increase the vaccination blitz days in Old Harbour.

“Word from the people: "every day I go to Civic Center, I am told come back tomorrow, dem nuh come today".

“Additionally the one or two day causing too much crowding and long wait.

“The rate of vaccination is still too low. At this rate, we will see lockdowns up until 2022.

“Old Harbour, for example with such a huge population should not have a vaccination blitz once per week for 3-5 hours. This is rubbish. My friends at the Ministry of Health, fix this.

“At least 3 days per week, a vaccination site must be in Old Harbour.

“Dozens of people message me daily, asking where to get the vaccine. An increasing number of residents within Old Harbour are becoming more open to taking the vaccine.

“There should be a site in Old Harbour that offers Covid vaccine 7 days per week.

“The Government is failing at the vaccination strategy.

“Based on what I see before and after no movement days, my conclusion is that it is not effective.”

Unlike when the health ministry gave a breakdown of the rate of covid-19 infections in communities across the island, it is yet to provide a similar detailed data for vaccination rates. 

The government has instituted consecutive periods of ‘no movement days’ which has been extended until September 14. Since the imposition of ‘no movement days’ on September 22, the health ministry had only one vaccination site – in Portmore – activated for the entire parish of St Catherine, which has a population density of over 500,000 inhabitants. However, the Ministry of Education had engaged couple secondary institutions to inoculate students, though some parents used the opportunity to receive the jab.

Approximately five percent of the Jamaican population is fully vaccinated according to the latest data from the World Health Organisation.