Private sector, social groups urge Jamaicans to get vaccinated

Below is a statement from the private sector and social groups regarding vaccines

In light of the increased restrictions announced by Prime Minister Andrew Holness on August 9, it is becoming even more apparent that widespread vaccination to gain population immunity is critical.

A persistent, national low vaccination rate and blatant breaches of the protocols will compel the Government to extend restrictions to reduce movement of people and the spread of the virus.

A coalition of private sector and social associations are strongly urging every Jamaican to seize the current opportunities to get vaccinated and play their part in restoring normalcy. The availability of vaccines has improved greatly when compared to the past few months, and there is the likelihood for even more vaccines to arrive in Jamaica over the coming weeks.

We must take advantage of the current supply of vaccine and help to save the lives of as many Jamaicans as possible. The recent statistics from the Ministry of Health and Wellness related to the positivity rate and the number of hospitalisations is alarming and should motivate every Jamaican to get vaccinated.

CONFLICTING INFORMATION

The private sector partners recognise that there is a lot of uncertainty and conflicting information being shared about the vaccines that is resulting in hesitancy among much of the populace.

We implore Jamaicans to review the facts – since April 2021, thousands of Jamaicans have been fully vaccinated and/or have received at least one dose, and the evidence does not indicate that there has been any negative impact on the health of individuals due to the vaccine. On the other hand, we are sure that over 100,000 children are already experiencing learning loss, and there is a real risk for that number to be increased if hybrid or online learning is to continue for another school term or year. We must also consider the thousands of Jamaicans who rely on daily wages or must do their job in person, who will be greatly impacted by increased restrictions, including vendors, people in the entertainment industry, beauticians and barbers, micro retailers, and so many more of us.

The time has come for each of us to make a choice for the greater good of the country. Each day we delay getting the vaccines into arms, is a further prolonging of the turmoil and hardship resulting from the COVID19 pandemic.

Until we have at least 65 per cent of the population vaccinated, there will continue to be gathering limits for churches, weddings and funerals, the entertainment sector is likely to remain closed, retailers and micro retailers will continue to feel the pinch of loss of revenue and perhaps most importantly, our children will continue to be denied access to face-to-face learning. The slower the recovery of the country, the deeper and more long-lasting the impact for all of us. The more Jamaicans who choose to get vaccinated, the sooner we will have our children back in school, the resumption of normal commercial activities and, critically, a reduction in hospitalisations and loss of lives due to COVID-19.

Some private-sector companies are committed to getting their employees and their families vaccinated to ensure their safety and to get as many Jamaicans back to life. We encourage all private-sector companies to get onboard to educate and urge their staff to get vaccinated. It will take an ‘all hands on deck’ approach for us to demonstrate Jamaica’s resilience and to get through this challenge. Vaccines work, let us work with the vaccines.