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vaccination of private-sector<br />
workers and staff.<br />
The private sector has also recommended<br />
that it be allowed to<br />
import vaccines with the approval<br />
of the MOHW.<br />
“To facilitate this vaccination<br />
of the workforce, we recommend<br />
that the private sector be allowed<br />
to purchase and import its own<br />
supply of vaccination for deployment,<br />
under the supervision and<br />
guidance of the MOHW in the<br />
same manner as non over the<br />
counter drugs are now handled,”<br />
said Christopher Zacca, President<br />
and CEO of Sagicor Group Jamaica,<br />
and a former president of<br />
the Private Sector Organisation of<br />
Jamaica (PSOJ).<br />
“We are attempting to reach<br />
herd immunity through this partnership<br />
in the shortest possible<br />
time…I believe the Ministry<br />
views that as 60 to 70 percent of<br />
<strong>KINAM</strong> <strong>MAGAZINE</strong> — <strong>FEBRUARY</strong> | <strong>MARCH</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />
the population, so that would be<br />
in the region of one and half to<br />
two million people,” Zacca said.<br />
The private sector plans could<br />
see many Jamaicans having to pay<br />
for the shot if they choose not to<br />
wait on free inoculation from the<br />
government.<br />
Dr Christopher Tufton, the<br />
Minister of Health, says he is on<br />
board with the initiative as it<br />
means Jamaica would sooner be<br />
over the hump of COVID-19.<br />
“Whatever private entity decides<br />
that they want to take some<br />
in, pay for it and administer it, for<br />
example, to their employees, then<br />
I think the more the merrier and I<br />
would certainly encourage it, but<br />
it will not impact or affect the<br />
Government’s responsibility to<br />
provide a vaccine,” he said.<br />
“There may be some that can<br />
afford to pay for it — and they<br />
should and I would encourage it<br />
frankly speaking.”<br />
The health minister stressed<br />
that “paying won’t hurt the process”<br />
as there was no chance of<br />
persons needing the vaccine and<br />
not being able to access it. He said<br />
that the ministry of health has an<br />
obligation to provide the vaccine<br />
free of cost to the country’s citizens.<br />
Prime Minister Andrew<br />
Holness has also praised private<br />
sector entities for the initiative.<br />
“I was informed that many private<br />
sector companies are seeking<br />
to ensure that they can get supplies<br />
of COVID-19 vaccines for<br />
their staff,” he said.<br />
The Prime Minister said this<br />
demonstrates that they are “not<br />
just waiting on the Government,”<br />
but are being proactive by taking<br />
steps to source vaccines.<br />
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