Children 12 and older will be prioritised for the first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines set to arrive in the island next Tuesday, August 17.

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton last evening revealed that Jamaica is set to receive a total of 600,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine in three tranches of 200,000 each. The vaccines, he said, are in addition to the stock of AstraZeneca vaccines now being administered to Jamaicans.

“We are now seeing the arrival of additional brands, and we did say it would happen in August,” Dr Tufton said at his ministry’s COVID Conversations press briefing during which plans to begin the community-based roll-out of the national vaccination programme were explained.

“Vaccines are coming, vaccines are here, vaccines in abundance; it is now time to take that up,” Dr Tufton said, noting that the ministry will begin utilisation of these vaccines on Monday, August 23 at all vaccination sites.

Emphasising that the Pfizer jabs are safe for children and adolescents, he said the intention is to prioritise the age cohort for the jabs from that particular brand with parental consent.

He said in furthering the considerations for the resumption of face-to-face schooling the health ministry will also be finalising discussions with the education ministry as to how children 15 and older, children with comorbidities, and especially those who are slated to sit exit exams can be prioritised to take the vaccines. This, he said, coincided with the thrust by the health ministry to have teachers vaccinated.

In the meantime, Tufton said through negotiations with the African Medical Supplies Platform Jamaica is to receive 118,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccines. These, he said, will be administered at sites beginning August 23.

The shipment, he said, is to be followed by another two deliveries between now and September.

The health and wellness minister said certain groups, such as street people and vulnerable groups, will be prioritised for the single-dose jabs.