WITH just over 35,000 of the nearly 700,000 Jamaicans who are now fully vaccinated having so far gone back for booster shots, health authorities have issued an appeal for those who are eligible for doses to take up the offer.

The appeal comes in face of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the population, as the country becomes immersed in the fifth wave of the pandemic, confirmed by the health ministry on May 18.

According to the ministry, some people would not yet be eligible for boosters, but Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton pointed out that this is only a small number.

He said compared to the close to 700,000 people fully vaccinated, there is a significant gap in those who have come forward for booster doses.

“It clearly suggests a very large gap although the timing would apply to some not being qualified as yet, but that would be a small number in the low take-up over the last few months, so the appeal is worth making. The effectiveness of the two doses does wane over time and the boosters are proven to offer added support,” Dr Tufton told the Jamaica Observer in response to questions on the level of take-up for boosters.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Jaquiline Bisasor McKenzie, meanwhile, said while the ministry continues to follow the World Health Organization (WHO) guidance on boosters, its own assessment of vaccine waning is drawn to local indicators for COVID-19, which shows that it is unvaccinated people who are being hospitalised.

“So that does suggested that we still have vaccine protecting our population [as shown by] the decreased numbers that are severely and critically ill,” she pointed out.

The ministry’s data showed that between March 2021 and March 2022, 97.5 per cent of COVID-19-related deaths – 2,431 of 2927 – have been unvaccinated people.

As of Wednesday, the health ministry has administered 1,433,973 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 595,256 of them second doses, 697,773 first doses, 101,038 single dose, and 4,129 doses to the immune-compromised. Of those fully vaccinated, 35,777 have received booster shots.

The country’s COVID-19 positivity rate – the positive tests in relation to the total number of tests done – soared to over 32.5 per cent on Monday, then declined to 28.3 per cent on Tuesday. Also, 131 new cases were recorded and 120 people were in hospital, 23 of them moderately ill, four severely ill and three critically ill. There were three deaths and another two under investigation.

The WHO says it is continuing to review the emerging evidence on the need for, and timing of additional booster doses for COVID-19 vaccines. In a May 17 statement, the WHO said the best interval for additional doses after completing the primary doses of the vaccine is yet to be determined, and depends on factors such as the particular vaccine, epidemiological setting, targeted age groups, and circulation and frequency of specific variant of concerns.

However, it also continues to advise a four- to six-month interval post-completion of full vaccination for boosters, particularly due to the Omicron variant.