KINGSTON, Jamaica— Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, has set a new target of administering one million doses of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines by November 30.

This new target comes as the Government ramps up efforts to increase vaccine take-up to return the country to normality as soon as possible.

“The connection is not made in our minds that if we don’t take the vaccines, we cannot return to normal. Those people who want to return to normal without taking the vaccine… nutt’n no go so.

“Your freedom of choice comes with the obligation and duty of consequence. The problem we are facing now in the society is that the people who have taken the vaccine have to bear the consequences for those who do not take it,” the prime minister said.

Holness was speaking to people at the Mocho Health Centre in Clarendon on Thursday as he continued his islandwide vaccination mobilisation and public education campaign aimed at encouraging Jamaicans to take the available vaccines. 

Some 125 residents received the jab at the health centre on the day.

Prime Minister Holness reminded the citizens that those who do not take the vaccines remain the host population for the reproduction and possible mutation of the virus.

This, he said, could result in vaccinated individuals being infected by a mutated version of the virus for which the vaccine they received may not be as effective.

Holness said it is “unfair” for unvaccinated people to want the right to move about as freely as they please, without thought for the health and welfare of others, particularly the children, whom he described as “voiceless victims”.

“The longer we take to bring the pandemic under control the greater the impact will be on our children, and I will not allow that to happen,” he said.

“There will come a time when we will have to insist upon people taking the vaccines or being restricted in certain ways. I have already sounded that warning as a matter of public duty and process before we implement any such thing. We will respect people’s rights; we will follow the process before we do anything that would infringe on anyone’s rights,” he said.

“Children must go back to school.  They have suffered the most, so there will come a time when we will have to insist upon persons taking the vaccines or being restricted.”

The Prime Minister pointed out that “all free and democratic societies have put in place measures to differentiate between persons who are vaccinated and those who are not, in the interest of public health,” and there are calls for the Government to initiate similar mandates.

He emphasised that before any such measures are instituted, the public will be properly informed.