DR donates 50k doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Jamaica

JAMAICA HAS lauded the Dominican Republic (Dom Rep) for helping to boost the national vaccination programme with its donation of 50,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Speaking at a recent ceremony held at the National Arena in St Andrew, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton said the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) is beneficial to regional and global populations.

“We see it as securing our population, that is our primary obligation, but restoring normality to relations and activities, the flow of people and goods, and all the other important things,” the health minister said, adding that the Dom Rep’s gift shows commonality between the two countries.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, said the support is “critical” to Jamaica’s response to the pandemic.

“We are determined to increase the vaccination rate among Jamaicans to allow for the safe resumption of economic and social activity,” the foreign affairs minister said, stressing that the vaccine donation represents a “great moment” of friendship and solidarity.

In September, the Dom Rep Government instituted a COVID-19 vaccine-sharing programme with a donation of some 505,000 doses to countries in the Greater Caribbean.

Dominican Republic Ambassador to Jamaica Angie Martinez Tejera said her country and Jamaica have had many years of friendship, and they are continuing the closeness in combating COVID-19.

“We are convinced that if all international planners continue to support each other, together, we will be able to overcome quickly the challenges, resulting from this pandemic,” the ambassador told the audience.