September 1 remains the official date for the reopening of schools for both vaccinated and unvaccinated students, Education Minister Fayval Williams stated yesterday.

However, while vaccinated students will be eligible immediately for face-to-face classes, those who are unvaccinated will have join classes online until they receive the jab.

“Children 12 and over must be vaccinated in order to return to face-to-face classes in September,” Williams said during a virtual press briefing hosted by her ministry and the Ministry of Health and Wellness at which a weekend vaccination blitz for students was announced.

The news conference came hours after Jamaica received a donation from the United States Government of 204,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, the majority of which will be allotted to school students.

Williams said that the need for children 12 and over to be vaccinated in order to resume face-to-face classes is the main reason for the age-group vaccination blitz which starts this weekend.

“We shared the broad outlines of the plan with the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) and have the assurance that they are on board. The current situation has all hands on deck and we are happy for the collaboration between ministries,” she said.

“Now we are saying to parents that it is your time to recognise the urgency of the time and take your children to be vaccinated. We are counting on everyone. Our teachers have taken the first step. A significant number of them have taken at least one dose and will be going back for the second. Now is the time, in terms of your child, to become vaccinated, as well as yourself,” Williams said.

“Parents, this weekend is yours. We expect you to turn out in your numbers across Jamaica to help us get our schools open again,” she added.

She also urged parents to understand that students will have to continue observing the COVID-19 protocols by wearing a mask, keeping a six-foot distance, and hand-sanitising at every opportunity.

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said the reason children over 12 years old were being targeted with the current vaccines was that the science and research have already proven that they are safe, especially the AstraZeneca product, which has already proven very effective for over 300,000 Jamaicans.

He said all the vaccines are safe and have proven effective and, in terms of efficacy and safety, are all providing the same level of protection. The Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are just as good, he pointed out.

“I urge persons, don’t wait until you think you will get the brand that you want. All the brands coming in have been tried, tested, and proven, and by next week, hopefully, we will have all three, including the Johnson & Johnson product which should start arriving by month end,” Tufton noted.

He also reminded parents that they will have to be the ones to take their children to the vaccination sites and give their approval, as well as provide the necessary documentation.