Private sector pledges to help with COVID-19 vaccine education

Private sector groups, through the Private Sector Vaccine Initiative (PSVI), have committed to supporting government in its efforts to educate Jamaicans about COVID-19 vaccination. 

In a release today, the PSVI said it would be supporting the Ministry of Health and Wellness in its drive to respond to public concerns about the vaccine with accurate, timely information and assurances about vaccine safety. It said it would also support the overall process of registering and accessing vaccines. 

Last month the partnership of private sector groups comprising the PSVI- the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association and the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica- signed a memorandum of understanding with the government, committing to support the national vaccination initiative. The support includes providing logistical and technical resources to the roll out programme, as well as procuring critical equipment.

The PSVI has said that in addition to the government's vaccination sites, it will work along with its partners, which also includes the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and Global Services Association of Jamaica (GSAJ), to use established medical facilities and personnel within its network who are prepared to contribute to increasing the country's vaccination capacity.

 So far under the initiative, several private sector entities have indicated an interest in purchasing vaccines for their staff and their dependents, the PSVI said, after front line workers have been inoculated. The entities have also indicated an interest in contributing vaccines to groups within the public sector over the course of the national roll out. 

“The vaccination programme is a clear and significant pathway for us to return economic activities to levels of normalcy and bring back the jobs to families and communities that were hard hit by the pandemic,” said PSVI chairman, Chris Zacca. 

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