LEADER of the Opposition Mark Golding is imploring all Jamaicans to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available.

“There is a lot of misinformation being spread around, a lot of fear and anxiety. But, this COVID is a deadly disease and our people are dying daily from it, so please listen to the information from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, from the World Health Organization (WHO) and do what you need to do to protect yourselves and your families, by getting vaccinated,” Golding said.

He was making his contribution to the 2021/22 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Jamaica’s vaccine programme got under way on March 10, and is being undertaken in three phases.

Phase one is targeted at vulnerable groups, and this includes health care workers, non-health front line workers (police, army, correctional services, customs and immigration officers), parliamentarians, people over 60 years old and institutionalised persons.

Phase two, to follow thereafter, will target people deemed essential to economic activity and will entail other public sector workers, hotel workers, the transportation sector, manufacturing sector, banking sector, and the agricultural sector.

The general public will be vaccinated during phase three.

Meanwhile, Golding has expressed gratitude and appreciation to the doctors, nurses, ancillary staff, community health aides and other health care workers “who are in the trenches every day fighting to save the Jamaican people”.

“They are today’s heroes and heroines, who have been giving service beyond the call of duty, in the most adverse circumstances. We salute them,” Golding said.

– JIS