The Ministry of Health is looking at improving access to non-traditional forms of vaccines to the Jamaican population.
According to Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton, offering non-traditional vaccines is crucial, particularly in light of increasing disease migration.
Tufton who attended the launch of the 14th Vaccination Week in the Americas on Saturday said the introduction of the vaccines, would form part of the Ministry’s strategic plan to improve access to the best quality of health services for all Jamaicans.
Tufton said the Ministry will continue to provide vaccines for children at no cost in the health sector and continue to employ various ways to get parents and guardians to comply and adjust to the routine vaccination schedule.
He said Jamaica has made strides in reducing illnesses and deaths from vaccine preventable diseases such as polio, measles, diphtheria, whooping cough and newborn tetanus through its ‘Expanded Programme on Immunisation’.
He said immunisation coverage against vaccine preventable diseases increased from an average of 47 per cent in 1976 to more than 90 per cent in some areas today.
He said in 2011 Jamaica was able to achieve 100 per cent
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