- Master of Ceremonies, Mr. Stephen Davidson
- Donneth Edmondson, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist of the UNICEF representing Ms. Mariko Kagoshima, UNICEF’s Country Representative to Jamaica,
- Peter Melhado, Chair, Logistics and Operations, Private Sector Vaccine Initiative,
- Shawn Bolton, ICT lead, MOHW,
- Members of the media,
- Ladies and gentlemen all,
Good day.
It’s official ladies and gentlemen: Jamaica’s Vaccination Card has gone digital. Members of the public are now able to download their digital vaccination card from the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ website: moh.gov.jm.
The rollout – made possible through collaboration with UNICEF and the eGovernments Foundation out of India – takes place as the Ministry of Health & Wellness enhances its national vaccination programme.
The digitisation of the cards provides Jamaicans with a secure and universally accepted card, designed in accordance with World Health Organisation standards. It features a Quick Response (QR) Code to enable the validation of the information in the card and of the person’s vaccination status without violating their right to privacy.
- It is also accessible by a mobile phone or other electronic device; and
- Provides for ease of travel as its QR code is readable on international platforms.
In addition, there is the ability to generate a new card on demand; and it can be printed on normal letter-size paper.
I wish to thank the eGovernments Foundation and UNICEF for their partnership in the delivery of the card.
eGovernments Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that has developed an open-source, flexible and extensible software called “DIVOC” that is designed to facilitate certification of large-scale vaccination using open-sources technologies and a scalable, data-driven architecture. DIVOC is a part of the Foundation’s “DIGIT” open-source digital infrastructure provided for Governments to streamline public governance and administration.
The Ministry of Health & Wellness, in partnership with UNICEF Jamaica is responsible for providing the infrastructure for hosting the integrated smart vaccination system, including DIVOC’s certificate.
Today, as we officially launch the system, we urge the cooperation and patience of members of the public. Depending on how many persons access the system at any one time, there may be some delays.
Once again thanks to our partners; our vaccination programme has a new feature that will make our lives a little easier when it comes to travel and doing business.
In the spirit of the season, I wish you all a holiday filled with joy, peace and prosperity.
Thank you.
Minister of Health & Wellness
Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton