Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton on Friday (March 19) received his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, at the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine.

Tufton, leading the charge against the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, received his jab around 2:00 pm this afternoon.

Some 16,096 Jamaicans, or roughly 96 per cent of the government’s target, have received the first AstraZeneca shot in the first week of the national vaccination, according to the most current statistics from the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

The island, experiencing its worst spike in cases since first confirming a COVID-19 case last year, commenced vaccination on Wednesday, March 10.