Three of the island’s leading private sector groups — the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC), Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), and the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA) — have issued a call on their colleagues to establish polices that require employees to get vaccinated.

The groups have also urged the Andrew Holness Administration to begin implementing a phased process of mandatory vaccination.

In a joint release yesterday, the groups said Jamaica is at a critical stage in the execution of the vaccination strategy and with more than 500,000 doses currently available, it is time for action by private sector entities.

“With less than 10 per cent of the population fully vaccinated, almost two years into the pandemic, Jamaica is being left behind with achieving population immunity and is putting our recovery at risk.

“The social and economic impact will be devastating, and the ripple effects will continue for years to come,” the groups said.

“We are firm in our position that private sector entities must ensure that we have a safe workplace where the spread of the COVID-19 virus is minimised and therefore protecting the lives of customers, workers and suppliers. A vaccination policy not only saves lives, it reduces disruption in businesses and sustains productivity,” added the groups.

The three groups noted that in September last year they joined with the Jamaica Employers’ Federation and Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions to issue a comprehensive guideline on COVID-19 safety measures in the workplace and the relevant legal duties of the employers and employees.

“The protocol recommends that employers start the process by undertaking a risk assessment to ascertain the level of risk presented in the work environment. It thereafter recommends that businesses develop vaccine policies that are suited for their respective business model and industry, noting the steps outlined in the guidelines. Special consideration may need to be given for medical or religious conditions,” said the groups.

That protocol also recommended that employees be taken through vaccine awareness programmes and given an opportunity to take the vaccine which is now widely available.

“After this period of engagement and education, the employer should reassess any risks which may still exist and ensure mitigating steps are taken — this could include requesting that a COVID-19 test is done periodically.

“In addition to the above recommendations, we are of the view that the national problem of the low vaccination rate requires more far-reaching measures. We would encourage and support the Government selectively using its powers under the DRMA (Disaster Risk Management Act) to introduce incremental requirements for vaccination to protect the public, just as it has imposed other measures,” the groups said in the release.

They added: “A specific example would be the Government implementing vaccination policies and protocols in a phased manner for the public sector, similar to what has been instituted by the private sector and unions.”

The JCC, JMEA and the PSOJ further urged private sector companies to utilise the resources of the Private Sector Vaccine Initiative (PSVI) to get credible resources and support for their vaccination awareness programmes and to schedule vaccination for their team members.

In the first eight weeks of its implementation more than 20,000 people from some 300 companies were vaccinated under the PSVI.

Under the initiative, vaccination exercises were staged at more than 34 company sites, allowing staff and family members of the companies to have the jab within the confines and convenience of their offices, as well as a weekly operation at its Waterloo Centre in St Andrew.