Jamaica, Cuba sign letters of intent for technical cooperation agreements on eye care and medical brigades
Written by Super User
The Government of Jamaica, through the Ministry of Health and Wellness, has signed a letter of intent for a technical cooperation agreement with the Government of the Republic of
Cuba for the continued provision of a medical brigade of health professionals to Jamaica.
At least one suspected death due to gastro reported - Health Ministry issues warning
Written by Super User
The Ministry of Health and Wellness is urging the public to take measures to prevent gastroenteritis (GE) and to seek care early to avoid serious complications after a suspected case of death was reported from the illness.
Health Ministry investigating suspected monkeypox related death
Written by Super User
Mother says she missed signs daughter was ill; help on the way for young lupus patient
JAMAICA TIMES
Townhead District, Westmoreland — Tashana Ferguson is wracked with guilt, beating herself up for failing to notice that her teenage daughter was seriously ill. Davieka Briyona Clarke, who turns 15 on Saturday, has lupus. She was diagnosed with the disease earlier this year after being ill for more than two years.
Health authorities here have increased surveillance for Monkeypox after being alerted to the fact that a crew member on a flight to the island has tested positive for the virus.
Jamaica could get first results today from its variant-testing machine
Written by Super User
Half a million doses and counting – Jamaica hits 500,000 mark on vaccination
Written by Super User
Jamaica has administered more than half a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, as the island continues efforts to vaccinate 65 per cent of the population against the deadly disease by March 2022.
As at 4:00 pm Wednesday, August 26, the island was up to 500,605 doses administered. Of that number, some 359,675 were first doses and 139,242 were second doses. The remainder were single doses.
Since COVID-19 vaccinations began in March this year, the island has received more than a million (some 1,139,140) doses of vaccines, including from the African Medical Supply Platform, the COVAX Facility, Canada, India, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The vaccines are AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer.
“In the last four weeks alone, we received more than 820,000 of those doses. This is in keeping with the inflows we had predicted, with more to come,” noted Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton.
“The vaccines are here. What we need to do is to make good use of them. I am encouraged by the uptake over the last week and urge those who have not yet been vaccinated to make every effort to do so,” the Minister added.
As the island races to prevent illness and death associated with COVID-19, the Ministry of Health and Wellness continues to encourage members of the public to get vaccinated. To do so, Jamaicans are encouraged to make their vaccination appointments online at www.moh.gov.jm or by calling the Vaccination Call Centre at 888-ONE-LOVE (888-663-5683).
Once members of the public have their appointments confirmed, they should visit their vaccination site with their government-issued identification or a letter from the Justice of the Peace. Those due a second dose will also need to take their vaccination card.
The Ministry is also urging the public to remain vigilant in their adherence to infection prevention and control measures, notably, mask wearing; maintaining a physical distance from others; and frequently washing and/or sanitising hands.
On Wednesday, August 25, the island recorded 463 new COVID-19 infections and confirmed 22 deaths. The new cases moved the total number of infections to 64,294 since the first case was recorded last year while the death toll climbed to 1,453.
FDA gives full approval to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
Written by Super User
Jamaica has recorded its highest number of Covid-19 cases since the onset of the pandemic in March last year.
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Canadian gift of 200,000 doses of vaccines to arrive in Jamaica this week
Written by Super UserForeign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, is commending Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica, Her Excellency Emina Tudakovic, for assistance in paving the way for 200,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines being scheduled to be delivered to Jamaica on Thursday this week.
Jamaica's doctors are apprehensive about facing another surge in COVID-19 cases with reduced numbers in their ranks.
Don’t be that guy! Take the damn vaccine when it comes
Written by Super User
By Alphanso Gomez
Senior Reporter
Some may say it is premature but when it comes to Covid-19 every little bit of success is worth a big song and dance.
It was music to my ears to learn that Jamaica had only recorded 9 new positive Covid-19 cases for the 24-hour period of December 27 and 20 for the 24-hour period of December 28.
These are the kind of figures we were looking at back in March when the Pandemic first hit us. Unfortunately the current numbers being reported also included 3 deaths of persons up around the 80 year old mark.
Where praise is earned it should be given gratuitously and so kudos and big to to the Most Hon. Andrew “Brogad” Holness, Minister of Health Dr. Christopher Tufton, Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health and Wellness Dr. Jacqueline Bisasor McKenzie, all the staff at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and all the frontline workers who put their own lives at risk daily to contain the Pandemic.
It has been tough going but praises could not be too much for the people of Jamaica (The responsible ones) who faced this disaster bravely and stood as a buffer between complete disaster and a partial recovery.
Now that vaccines are being rolled out in numbers all Jamaica needs now is its shipment so that the situation can be contained at current levels.
There are many Jamaicans who have sworn that they will not be taking the vaccine when it becomes available. One thing we are good at as a country are conspiracy theories.
Why should we be worried? We are in a great position; we are seeing millions being vaccinated before it even gets to us so we will have a a lot of time to make an informed decision. How fair would it be for most of the nation to be trying to protect themselves and the reckless thinking of a few would possibly keep this deadly virus laying latently to mutate and attack again?
It would be a welcome move, certainly by me for the government to make the the administration of the vaccine mandatory (Of course here comes human rights on the soap box). But what about the rights of the rest of us to be healthy and secure from this monster?
Knowing our Prime Minister I am sure he wouldn’t choose that route but he’s going to have to rely a lot on ‘moralsuasion’.
The polio vaccine of the 1980’s was only about 60 per cent effective. These vaccines have efficacy rates of up to 95 per cent.
It is sadly ironic that those who are u in arms about the vaccines still take their newborns to get their jabs to protect them from the myriad diseases that threaten normal growth and development. Do those babies have a say in whether they get MMR and other vaccines? One thing is for sure, they can’t enter school without evidence of having being vaccinated.
Perhaps a similar approach can be thought out around the Covid-19 vaccine. I am confident that the Prime Minister and his erstwhile Cabinet will find the right solution.
Help is on the way…again Yippee Yeah…let’s keep the numbers down.
Stay blessed and healthy.