With large numbers of Jamaicans baulking at accepting jabs under the Government’s national vaccination programme, the Administration last evening announced its intention to “pivot to a more community-based approach” to have the populace accept the importance of getting vaccinated.

In recent weeks the Andrew Holness-led Administration has been roundly chastised for its approach towards getting Jamaicans to accept the jabs mainly through setting up central sites under a blitz-type offering and advertisements in the media.

Speaking during a virtual press briefing at Jamaica House in St Andrew last evening, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said the ministry will this Thursday outline to the country the comprehensive plan for the roll-out of the new-look intervention.

According to Dr Tufton, the Government had listened to the criticisms of its communication strategy and made adjustments along those lines.

“Elected representatives will be mobilised, church leaders will be mobilised… we do believe that concerns, queries, suspicions are going to be able to be better addressed,” Dr Tufton stated.

“Instead of the larger blitz, we are going to be taking time to bring the sites into rural communities, instead of the larger sites like during the blitz,” he explained.

He noted that health officials were seeing encouraging signs from the pilot of community-based interventions conducted recently where the vaccination programme was concerned.

“We started that in four communities in west central St Catherine and also in the Liguanea area (St Andrew)…it is going to be the next most popular approach to inoculating the population. We are finalising the plans for this week’s roll-out. We will advise and present the comprehensive list of communities for the intervention,” Tufton stated, noting that some 600 individuals took the jabs in the Liguanea area and 900 in St Catherine during those pilots.

In the meantime, the health minister said there will be no attempt to politicise the endeavour.

“We are going to be colour-neutral,” Dr Tufton maintained.

He was unable to say what impact, if any, the change in approach would have on the budget for the vaccination programme, but noted that there was room for reallocations, adding that, if necessary, representation could be made to Cabinet for additional funding.

“If resources are needed in that respect we will reallocate internally or go to Cabinet for additional funds,” he said.

In February this year the Government shaved close to $49 million from the planned marketing and public education budget for its vaccine roll-out and take-up plan amidst public criticism. The health minister had also, at that time, dismissed reports that the Government had planned to fork out $422 million of taxpayers’ money solely to fund a marketing programme in a bid to convince people to roll up their sleeves for the vaccines.

At that time, in outlining the cuts that had been made as a result of the backlash, the minister wasted no time in pointing out that he was not happy with the decision and emphasised that no one firm or entity was set to benefit, harking back to an earlier controversy involving previously contracted marketing firm Market Me.