COVID vax booster drive off to flying start
Seniors jump at chance to get added protection
Published:Tuesday | December 14, 2021 | 12:11 AMAsha Wilks/Gleaner Writer
More than 200 persons turned up at the Mona Ageing and Wellness Centre yesterday as the Ministry of Health & Wellness began administering mix-and-match COVID-19 booster shots.
The boosters are being administered to persons 60 years and older, as well as healthcare workers, who have passed six months since the completion of their original two doses of the Pfizer or AstraZeneca jabs.
Individuals 18 and older who originally received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine between two and six months ago or those who got Pfizer jabs up more than six months ago are also eligible for a booster shot.
By noon yesterday, Mona Ageing and Wellness Centre, which is based at The University of the West Indies, Mona, had surpassed its target of administering up to 100 booster doses.
“It’s been like this all morning,” said Annazika Watkins, administrative officer at the centre, noting that when she arrived for work about 7:45 a.m. yesterday, a crowd had already begun assembling ahead of the planned 8:30 start time.
This, however, was no major challenge as Watkins said that once staff members are at work, the centre would begin processing those who arrived early.
Watkins further explained that the centre had anticipated the large turnout and had stocked up on the three vaccines being administered in the island.
“I find that the elderly population are coming in quick,” she remarked, noting that persons had also begun turning up last week for booster shots.
The younger folks, she said, were not as enthusiastic.
“Most of the youngsters, because they are travelling and have to be vaccinated, that’s why they are here,” but others, she said, are under restraint as their offices have put in place vaccination mandates.
She said that the recommendation of boosters is not sitting well with everyone, as some took the Johnson & Johnson shot originally just to avoid enduring another jab.
“But at the same time, they know the benefit of the vaccine, so although they are saying that, they are not resisting,” she added.
Most of the persons who turned out yesterday had opted for the AstraZeneca vaccinations, some indicating that they had been advised by their doctors that it was better to mix and match vaccines, meaning that for their booster, they would not necessarily take the same brand of vaccine they had originally received.
Pfizer boosters were also in high demand, with the Johnson & Johnson shots seeing limited take-up.
Theresa Edwards, who took her second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine six months ago, said she was out to get “added protection”.
With an overseas trip on the horizon, the 69-year-old Edwards told The Gleaner that she was especially persuaded to take the booster in light of the new Omicron variant of the virus which causes COVID-19.
Peter Thwaites, 81, who also took the AstraZeneca jab six months ago, said that although he has had numerous heart and back operations conducted, his habit of consistent exercise has aided in his heath.
Harbouring no fear of the needle, Thwaites shared sentiments similar to 68-year-old Diana McCaulay, who remarked that she was happy to jump at the opportunity to get a third dose.
With many Jamaicans still remain hesitant to get vaccinated against the virus and others showing apprehension in taking a booster shot, McCaulay is advising them to take hold of the opportunities presented to them while they can as “there is a much greater risk in being either unvaccinated or unboosted [because] the risk of getting COVID is far greater than any risk presented by the vaccine or its boosters”.
More than 540,000 Jamaicans have been fully vaccinated with another 624,000 only receiving their first of two doses.
On Sunday, 37 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the island, bringing the total since March 2020 to 91,802.