Vaccine take-up among inmates still low

 

Despite the spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths, the take-up rate for the vaccine in Jamaica's prisons remains low.

 

Matthew Samuda, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of National Security, revealed that the rate remains at ten per cent despite the vulnerability of prisoners in the system.

 

There are 3,000 inmates and the National Security Ministry's vaccination target is 70 per cent.

 

The Gleaner recently reported the low interest in vaccination at a time when prisoners and correctional officers were contracting the virus.

 

Mr. Samuda explained that despite the dangers of the virus and prisoners' vulnerability, their attitude remains the same.

 

"The problem that we have found and when we have the conversation is that the exposure to COVID has not given rise to the sort of fear that perhaps many of us in society have. The fact is, we've had very low infection rate in our adult correctional facilities and the extreme health reactions to it have been even lower and that hasn't helped us in terms of convincing our...inmate population. So we have a lot of work to do," said Mr. Samuda, who was speaking Tuesday on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines.

 

He said the next drive to inoculate prisoners will begin on Thursday. 

 

The minister also reacted to a recent report that incarcerated entertainer Vybz Kartel wanted to take the COVID-19 vaccine but was not given the opportunity.

 

"On May 3rd, there was indeed a vaccination event at St. Catherine Adult Correctional while Mr. Palmer would have still been there and we were going block to block asking for persons to participate...[so] the opportunity certainly would have been there," he asserted.

 

However, Mr. Samuda noted that there will be "an event shortly at the facility that Mr. Palmer is, so we welcome his vaccination as we would welcome all those who are on correctional order."