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Jamaica stopped using AstraZeneca COVID vaccine in July 2022, says CMO

Published:Wednesday | May 15, 2024 | 11:27 AM
File photo.

Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health and Wellness Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie says Jamaica stopped using the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in July 2022.

"Simply because it has not been on the market," she said at this morning's post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

She was addressing concerns arising from news that the manufacturer of AstraZeneca has withdrawn the vaccine from the market.

Bisasor-McKenzie explained that it is unlikely for anyone who took the vaccine to now be developing side effects.

She said the period for side effects was three days to three months after the shot was administered.

In a subsequent press release, the health ministry outlined that AstraZeneca's Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccine was authorised for emergency use during the height of the pandemic.

Over three billion doses were distributed in over 150 countries globally. Independent studies showed high effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine in preventing serious illness and deaths.

The AstraZeneca vaccine, however, was replaced by use of mRNA vaccines in many countries as these vaccines became more widely available.

The health ministry noted that the manufacturers did not update the vaccine to target newer strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 and there was further decline in the uptake of the vaccine with the increase in the availability of newer formulations currently in surplus on the global market that protect against emerging strains of SARS-CoV-2.

This decreasing demand has resulted in Vaxzevria no longer being manufactured or supplied, it noted.

“Serum Institute of India, which produced the COVISHIELD AZ vaccine, the main product used in Jamaica, stopped manufacturing and supplying doses since December 2021. Due to its absence from the global market, AZ has not been available for use in Jamaica since 2022,” the health ministry stated.

“The last shipment of AZ vaccine was received in May 2022 and the last available batch expired in July 2022,” it added.

The health ministry noted that Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) is a very rare side effect associated with the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“There have been no confirmed cases of TTS in Jamaica. TTS usually occurs within three to 30 days of vaccination."

Meanwhile, the health ministry stated that as at May 10, 2024, a total of 1,534,738 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Jamaica.

Of this number, approximately 59% were AstraZeneca, 40% were Pfizer and less that 1% were SinoPharm, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines.

The ministry said that it continues to collect reports on illnesses that have occurred in vaccinated persons, where there is a possibility of relation to the vaccine.

Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and SinoPharm vaccines were available for administration in 2023, with stock out of all COVID-19 vaccines in September 2023.

The Ministry of Health & Wellness said it currently has no AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, or Sinopharm vaccine doses remaining in stock.

As at May 8, 2024, there were 17,300 doses of Pfizer vaccine in stock at central stores.

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