OCHO RIOS, St Ann — The limited number of vaccination sites in this parish has contributed to the low level of vaccinations to date, according to a health official.

So far, 33,742 St Ann residents have been inoculated, with 9,084 of that number fully vaccinated, acting medical officer of health in the parish Dr Samantha Gallimore told the monthly municipal meeting on Thursday.

“There is [an] inadequate amount of sites available for COVID-19 vaccine so what we are doing on some days is dividing the amount that is to be distributed until other days that are available for such distribution,” she said.

She said attempts are being made to ramp up the take-up rate, now at about five per cent, especially in the St Ann’s Bay and Ocho Rios health districts which are severely affected by the virus.

“All health districts have been affected by COVID but the St Ann’s Bay district accounts for the greatest number of cases, which is approximately 38 per cent of cases, followed by Ocho Rios which accounts for 25.6 per cent,” said Dr Gallimore. “We are doing [a] community walk and talk to advise persons to take their vaccines and [there is] also the Private Sector Vaccine Initiative. So far we have collaborated with Sandals and Moon Palace, which means they can administer the COVID-19 vaccine.”

Between March 10 and August 31, she said, a total of 7,233 first doses and 14 second shots of the Pfizer vaccine were administered. There were 17,425 first-time vaccinations done with the AstraZeneca vaccine and 9,016 second does, while there were 54 vaccinations done with the single-dose Johnson and Johnson brand.

As of September 8 the parish of St Ann had recorded 4,474 positive COVID-19 cases. The youngest patient was one day old and the oldest 108 years old. The 25 to 44 age group accounts for the highest number of cases in the parish, approximately 32.7 per cent of total cases.