Jamaica’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie, says the Ministry of Well being and Wellness is aiming to have 30 to 40 % of Jamaica’s inhabitants obtain “at the least one dose” of a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine earlier than the Christmas vacation.
Thus far, some 11 % of Jamaicans are totally vaccinated, and just below 20 % have acquired at the least one dose of a vaccine.
Talking at a COVID Conversations digital press briefing on October 14, she stated this can assist to stop a rise in hospitalizations, as extra individuals have a tendency to journey and do a lot searching for vacation preparations.
The CMO additionally urged Jamaicans to keep up strict adherence to social distancing measures, to stop a spike in instances.
Up to now, the Ministry has reported that the variety of instances, deaths and hospitalisations are reducing; nonetheless, Dr. Bisasor-McKenzie stated the present variety of instances nonetheless “considerably influence hospital companies”.
“We actually must get right down to lower than 200 instances to be within the [safe] zone, the place we received’t severely influence the remainder of the actions within the hospitals,” she stated.
She identified that actions, reminiscent of Elective Admissions and Elective Surgical procedures, have been placed on maintain to accommodate sufferers hospitalised with COVID-19.
In the meantime, Dr. Bisasor-McKenzie famous that 80,000 of 120,000 individuals who acquired the jab in August 2021 are due for his or her second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The CMO stated these people mustn’t hesitate to obtain their second dose.
“That is the one manner you’ll defend your self in the course of the Christmas season and stop your self from getting severely in poor health,” she added.
Up to now, 99.3 per cent of individuals hospitalised are unvaccinated.
