Jamaica struggling to secure vaccine for children under 12 years old, says Tufton
SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has disclosed that while Jamaica is willing to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to children under the age of 12, the country is having a challenge in securing doses.
Tufton was fielding questions from the Jamaica Observer while speaking with reporters following the handing over of a long-awaited $35.4-million field hospital at Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital on Wednesday
“The supplies have been brought up and so we are in discussions with the manufacturers,” added Tufton.
He said there must be some collaboration with a host country and once the vaccine is available for children under 12-year-old, Jamaica is willing to get it and make it available after it goes through the channels of approval.
Jamaica is currently administering the Pfizer vaccine to teenagers 12 years and older with parental consent.
In October of last year, the United State Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorised the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in children ages five through to 11.
Four months later, Pfizer and BioNTech have applied to the FDA for authorisation to use the vaccine in children six months through four years.
The FDA has since stated that its advisory committee is scheduled to meet on February 15 to discuss whether to authorise the vaccine for children as young as six months.
Responding to a question on whether Jamaica would follow suit if the FDA gives the nod to the vaccine for babies, Tufton told the Observer that once approval is given, this is something that Jamaica is willing to look at.
“A lot of it is based on science for us. We are always and have always been guided by science. So, if there is a vaccine that has been clinically proven to work and give protection to all age cohorts, then it is something that we will be willing to look at,” declared Tufton.
“As of now, an application is not an approval. So, it is really now a process of observing and seeing exactly what transpires and what the experts say,” said Dr Tufton.
He added: “We do have our own experts but we depend on the external experts also for guidance and collaboration.”
