Earlier this year Dr Christopher Tufton, minister of health and wellness, urged public health agencies such as the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and World Health Organization (WHO) to push back against what he said was a growing anti-vaccination lobby that could prove detrimental to immunisation programmes in the region.

According to Dr Tufton, while COVID-19 may be having limited impact on Jamaica’s immunisation programme due to the redirection of some resources, there is an even larger threat from the intensifying anti-immunisation lobby.

The challenges, he argued, have increased over time based on the strength of what seems to be a well-resourced lobby which has had more reach, thus affecting some of the take-up of vaccines.

In light of that reality he called for renewed and more creative efforts in getting people to understand the benefits of immunisation.

We recall that near the time Dr Tufton made those comments, PAHO Director Carissa Etienne used a news conference to caution countries against slowing down immunisation, particularly for children, to protect against outbreaks of illnesses in a pandemic.

Dr Etienne had argued that, until a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is available, immunisations must be delivered by health services alongside responses to the pandemic, and that failure to do this could have long-term impact on health systems.

We are reminded of those comments by Dr Tufton and Ms Etienne as three of Jamaica’s statesmen — current Prime Minister Andrew Holness and two of his predecessors, Messrs P J Patterson and Bruce Golding — told us on Monday that they are willing to take a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. US presidents Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Barack Obama have also shared similar views.

While the vaccines that have already been produced do not, so far, guarantee immunity, the data produced by scientists suggest that they will provide protection to people who take them. And, hopefully, as research continues, scientists will get those vaccines to the stage that states can implement COVID-19 immunisation programmes.

The endorsements by Holness, Patterson and Golding, therefore, are important, given widespread scepticism among Jamaicans about vaccines.

Readers will recall that just a few weeks ago we canvassed the views of some Jamaicans in the capital city and most expressed some form hesitation. Their views, unfortunately, are in keeping with widespread distrust of vaccines, a lot of which became very evident when the Government started a programme of administering the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to girls in schools.

HPV — a common, sexually transmitted infection — is one of the leading causes of cervical cancer — a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Jamaican women between the ages 30 and 50.

As we have pointed out before, immunisation using vaccines has played a lead role in the elimination or reduction to very low levels of such diseases as polio, measles, tuberculosis, diphtheria, and mumps, to name a few.

We hold that traditional opposition to vaccines can be countered by community leaders including teachers, pastors, business operators, and heads of citizens’ organisations. But just as important, the health authorities need to make sure that there is no misunderstanding about the efficacy of vaccines among the public.

Additionally, we all need to be aware that vaccination does not, in any way, reduce the need for people to protect themselves by observing the safety protocols.