The Ministry of Health and Wellness is reporting that it is compiling a list of senior citizens in care homes to be on standby to get access to COVID-19 vaccines,while it gives priority to frontline healthcare workers and members of the security forces.
All three categories are among groups in phase one of the vaccination programme, which began on Wednesday.
The Ministry notes that over the next two weeks, the primary focus is on healthcare workers and members of the Jamaica Defence Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force.
It points out that there are circumstances where the opening of a vial will leave a surplus of vaccines which must be used.
Jamaica on Monday received 50,000 doses of vaccines from India.
The health ministry further outlined that with a surplus of vaccines, this may present the opportunity over the next two weeks to have members of the elderly cohort of the population vaccinated, in particular, those in care homes.
Consequently, in order to prevent wastage of the surplus of vaccines, which is a possibility if there is an open vial, a list of persons aged 60 years and older is being generated at these facilities, the Ministry stated.
When a surplus exists due to an opened vial, senior citizens on this list may then be contacted to come in and take the vaccine within an hour – this will be done based on vaccine availability in the different locations, it added.
The health ministry highlighted that a vial contains 10 doses of the vaccine.
Once the vial is opened, all vaccines must be used within six hours, it pointed out.
In an effort to minimise wastage, if a vial is opened and not all vaccines are used up by healthcare workers, the elderly will be inoculated with the remaining vaccines, said the Ministry.
It noted that its vaccination policy is guided by the World Health Organization (WHO) empirical science-oriented findings which identify healthcare workers and the elderly among the most vulnerable groups.
The Ministry says it is encouraged by the number of healthcare workers who have taken the vaccines so far and continues to do all within its power to ensure the vaccination process proceeds smoothly, and as soon as possible, the entire population has the opportunity to be inoculated.
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