One of the 612 Jamaicans over 75 years old who were inoculated last Saturday at the National Arena in St Andrew has described the process as “excellent” and “awesome”.

The female senior citizen, who was not identified, made the comment in a voice note sent to the Jamaica Observer by a Ministry of Health and Wellness official.

“I am so proud of my country. At the arena it has just been awesome. Excellent, excellent service. Escort, lawks, car door open for me, guy said do I want [a] wheelchair… I’m really, really proud to see the organisation at the arena,” she said, adding that she did not feel the needle as she received the vaccination.

“I have been telling everybody who don’t go yet, if dem can get booked at the arena, do it because it is wonderful — courteous, kind, caring, doctors, public health nurses, a member of the JDF, every person. The guys in the red waistcoat with the yellow that come and tek you out the car and escort you, oh it is just beautiful,” she gushed.

Four centenarians, including a 102-year-old woman, were among the Jamaicans vaccinated at the arena in the Government’s first national vaccination blitz against COVID-19.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness had targeted 1,000 seniors but only 662 people registered to be inoculated at the site.

The blitz was the first of its kind in the Government’s three-phased approach to rolling out Jamaica’s COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Programme.

A second vaccination blitz is planned for this Saturday at the National Arena.