In an effort to increase the country’s vaccination rate and make good on its promise to bring COVID-19 vaccines to the people, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has introduced a new phase of the country’s vaccination plan.

In a media release on Sunday (October 24), the ministry announced the introduction of house-to-house vaccinations in nine of the country’s 14 parishes.

Healthcare teams, including public health nurses and community health aides from Hanover, Manchester, St Elizabeth, Trelawny, Westmoreland, St Ann, St Mary, Portland and St Thomas have been deployed to communities to administer the COVID-19 vaccines to shut-ins, the disabled and the elderly.

Speaking on the introduction of the house-to-house vaccination programme, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton explained that it represents another phase in the national vaccination efforts.

“This house-to-house vaccination programme is intended to take vaccines to communities that are not close to a fixed site and to persons who are not able to travel to these sites,” said Tufton.

While commending the health care workers who continue to show commitment to COVID-19 efforts, the health ministry charged citizens to get vaccinated to prevent serious illness, hospitalisation and/or death associated with COVID-19.

To date, Jamaica has administered some 896,658 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, of which 535, 091 were first doses, 316, 237 were second doses and 45, 330 were single doses.