Tag: vaccination

Jamaica Update, June 11, 2021: Shelly-Ann runs like the wind, George Wright makes a cameo appearance, and Mark Golding does TikTok

June 12, 2021

I have had a long hiatus from my weekly updates. Life has been a little overwhelming. “Tempus fugit.” I am scraping the surface here, but will go more in depth next week and will try to stick to a Friday/Saturday update! Environmental stories will follow in due course and there is much to report; however, … More Jamaica Update, June 11, 2021: Shelly-Ann runs like the wind, George Wright makes a cameo appearance, and Mark Golding does TikTok

Jamaica and COVID-19: Over 18,000 vaccinated on Sunday and the “blitz” continues until Tuesday

April 12, 2021

It was an unusual weekend in Jamaica. We were under lockdown (a half-day curfew on Saturday and all day Sunday) – but the gates were opened for vaccinations across the island. This afternoon was pretty busy at some locations, but reports were generally very positive. Some had to wait, but altogether there were good reviews … More Jamaica and COVID-19: Over 18,000 vaccinated on Sunday and the “blitz” continues until Tuesday

Second “Blitz” vaccinates over 1,000 Jamaican elders

April 5, 2021

The Ministry of Health and Wellness really seem to love the word “blitz.” It sounds somewhat warlike to me, but I guess the idea is to really reach some numbers in terms of vaccination. There have been two “blitzes” so far at the National Arena in Kingston. Reports from the vaccinees (I am not sure … More Second “Blitz” vaccinates over 1,000 Jamaican elders

Vaccination Time for Jamaican Seniors

March 23, 2021

This morning was an interesting experience. My dear husband, who falls in the over-75 bracket, received an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine. This is the much-discussed AstraZeneca, which is the first vaccine that Jamaica has received, to date. By the way, Jamaica was the first Caribbean country to receive vaccines through the World Health Organization’s … More Vaccination Time for Jamaican Seniors

Jamaicans 75 years and older to be vaccinated next week

March 18, 2021

Here’s the latest from the Ministry of Health and Wellness… Kingston, Jamaica. Thursday, March 18, 2021. The Ministry of Health and Wellness wishes to advise that for the week of March 22 to 28, the priority group for vaccination is persons 75 years and older.  Effective 10:00 am on Monday, March 22, 2021, persons from this group wishing to take the COVID-19 vaccine must make an appointment before … More Jamaicans 75 years and older to be vaccinated next week

Fairness and equity in access to the COVID-19 vaccine in Jamaica

March 13, 2021

We are learning a great deal about the COVID-19 vaccine. As I detailed in a Global Voices post this week, there was quite a bit of excitement when Jamaica’s very first batch of vaccine arrived on Monday (March 8). Prime Minister Andrew Holness stressed at a press briefing that evening that vaccinations would take place … More Fairness and equity in access to the COVID-19 vaccine in Jamaica

Update in Jamaican Parliament on Vaccines and COVID-19: Tuesday, February 2, 2021

February 4, 2021

Things seem to be happening rather rapidly this year, and it’s hard to keep up. In case any of us are confused or don’t have the current full picture on COVID-19 and the availability of vaccines, etc., I am sharing the text of Minister of Health and Wellness Christopher Tufton’s presentation in the House of … More Update in Jamaican Parliament on Vaccines and COVID-19: Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Health Ministry Says There Are No Cases of Measles on the Island

April 24, 2019

I have just one thing to say about the current fears over measles: Get your child vaccinated! As the number of cases continues to rise in New York (and has tripled globally this year) and we realize that Jamaica has slipped below 95 percent in its vaccination levels. This is a concern. MAKE SURE YOUR … More Health Ministry Says There Are No Cases of Measles on the Island

The Enigma of the Zika Virus: A Pandora’s Box, A Smokescreen, Or What?

February 4, 2016

Nothing is quite what it seems. Since the World Health Organization’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on February 1, I have been wading through online articles about the Zika Virus. I am baffled, confused, alarmed and apprehensive, all at the same time. I suspect many Jamaicans are. In fact, I was even … More The Enigma of the Zika Virus: A Pandora’s Box, A Smokescreen, Or What?

Hats or Not, Masks or Not, and Santoya’s Tragedy: Saturday, February 21, 2015

February 21, 2015

It’s been an interesting week. Rain has fallen. There was a holiday in the middle of it (Ash Wednesday) when we took a little pause. The weather remains “cool” by Jamaican standards, and we can’t complain. Parliament officially reopened yesterday. The annual colonial-era parade of the two parties striding down Duke Street, while their little groups … More Hats or Not, Masks or Not, and Santoya’s Tragedy: Saturday, February 21, 2015