Members of the diaspora worked hard to secure vaccines

THE ARRIVAL of over 208,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the United States represent a pay off for the efforts of a number of people in the Diaspora who began lobbying the Biden administration for vaccines for Jamaica as far back as March.

The first batch of the Pfizer vaccines arrived in Jamaica yesterday, and three more shipments are slated arrive in the coming weeks.

In March, a group of Jamaicans and others in the United States of America began negotiating with the administration to provide Jamaica with vaccines as the country experienced a major rise in COVID-19 cases.

In their request, the Jamaican leaders had asked the Biden administration for just over one million doses of vaccines for Jamaica

The request to the Biden administration preceded the announcement by the administration that it would make millions of doses of vaccines available worldwide.

But since the announcement, those involved in the talks stepped up their efforts to ensure that Jamaica benefits from the programme.

Among those in the forefront to secure the vaccines for Jamaica are Reverend Dr Karen Green, the vice-chair of the Democratic Party in Florida who is Jamaican; Congressman Darren Soto of Florida 9th congressional district, who has been a long-time advocate for the Caribbean American communities and the region; Congresswoman Stacy Plaskett of the US Virgin Islands; former Florida Congressman Alcee Hastings, who died recently and Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks, assisted by Jamaica’s Consul General in Miami, Oliver Mair, and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke.

In addition to their efforts, various other Jamaican-Americans also wrote to their congressional representatives seeking to have the Biden administration send vaccines to Jamaica.

The effort to secure vaccine supplies for Jamaica from the Biden administration began on March 27 when Rev Dr Green sent a letter to the president, noting that it is with a sense of urgency that a request is being made to the administration to provide Jamaica with COVID-19 vaccine through the diplomacy outreach vaccine initiative announced by that administration.

TEAM EFFORT

Responding to the arrival of the vaccines in Jamaica, Rev Dr Green expressed her thanks to the Biden administration, as well as all those who worked to secure the supplies for Jamaica.

“It was a real team effort on the part of everyone to get this done. I am happy that Jamaica has benefited from the efforts,” she said.

Rev Dr Green has urged Jamaicans to take the vaccines in order to bring the COVID-19 virus, especially the Delta strain, under control so life in the country can return to normality.

She also expressed her thanks to Jamaican Americans, as well as Jamaican diplomats in the US for rallying in support of Jamaica getting vaccine from the Biden administration.

Ambassador Marks told The Gleaner that she is grateful for the efforts of Jamaicans in the diaspora who rallied to the country’s aid.

Consul General Mair also expressed his thanks to the members of the Jamaican diaspora for working to get the administration to send vaccines to Jamaica.

“I want to thank the Biden administration and our many Jamaican American community leaders to put the interest of Jamaica first in their advocacy for getting vaccines into the country,” he said.

Mair said that the efforts by Jamaicans in the diaspora helped to support the thrust by the Jamaican Government to get vaccines.

He has urged Jamaicans at home to take the vaccines, as this will help to bring the virus under control and return life to normal.

“I encourage everyone to make use of taking the vaccines,” he said.