Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, once again pleaded with Jamaicans to get vaccinated, citing that recent hospitalization data proves vaccination continues to be an effective tool in combating COVID-19.
Dr. Tufton, while speaking at the COVID Conversations Digital Press Conference on Thursday, January 20, gave an update on Jamaica’s hospitalization numbers, with figures reflecting that a majority of the patients critically, severely and moderately ill were unvaccinated.
“Up to Wednesday, 96% of the patients in hospitals who were moderately ill were unvaccinated; 95% of those severely ill were unvaccinated and 86% of those critically ill were unvaccinated. We continue to implore Jamaicans who are able to take the COVID-19 vaccine to do so immediately, to avoid serious illness, hospitalization and death associated with COVID-19”, the Minister noted.
Up to noon on Friday, January 21, a total of 1,279,090 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across the island. Of that total 656,608 were first doses; 525,516 second doses; 79,921 single doses; 1,916 doses were administered to the immunocompromised and 15,129 doses were given as booster.
As a reminder, members of the public have over 250 access points, 7 days a week to receive any of the four vaccines available in country.