New COVID-19 Special Select Committee to be named
Dec. 3, 2020
Speaking in Parliament today, (Tuesday, December 1) Minister of Health & Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton announced that a new COVID-19 Special Select Committee of Parliament will be named to look at the overall management of Jamaica’s COVID-19 Response.
According to Dr. Tufton, “I have had discussions with the Prime Minister and have notified the Leader of Government Business with a view to re-establishing the Special Select Committee on COVID-19. I will make recommends for members of this honourable House to serve on the committee which will have specific responsibility for oversight of Jamaica’s COVID-19.”
The tenure of the previous special select committee ended following the dissolution of parliament in August of this year.
Committee on Vaccines
A multi-stakeholder committee will also be established to look at the introduction of a COVID-19 vaccine in Jamaica, once one becomes available. The committee, Dr. Tufton said, will include clinical experts from the Ministry of Health & Wellness and the private sector, as well as logics and planning experts and social behavior experts, who will manage the behavior change intervention to accompany the introduction of the vaccine to the population.
Dr. Tufton noted that “already the Ministry has a draft plan to manage the introduction of a COVID-19 vaccine into the country. The tenants of which include public education, distribution and clinical management.”
Jamaica is among the CARICOM member states on whose behalf a down payment has been made by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for equitable access to a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine through the COVID-19 Global Access Facility (COVAX Facility).