Opposition Leader and President of the People’s National Party (PNP), Mark Golding, has said the Government should consider offering incentives such as food packages to Jamaicans to boost the country’s flagging vaccination programme.

Golding has also reiterated that he is not in support of mandatory vaccination.

“I do not think that, as a practical matter, the Government can force adults to take the vaccine,” he said Sunday as he addressed the 83rd annual conference of the PNP via Zoom.

Golding argued that a large segment of the population is “reluctant or even outright against being vaccinated”.

He added that “Many people still fear and distrust the vaccines, and trying to force these people to take them is just impractical at this point, and it would only fuel serious tensions in the society.”

According to Golding, in the absence of a properly managed distribution programme, and serious limitations on access to vaccines, mandatory vaccination is unworkable.

“How can the Government mandate the taking of a vaccine that is not readily available and accessible to many Jamaicans?” he asked.

The Opposition leader noted that other countries have achieved high levels of vaccination through making vaccines highly available “and backing that up with solid information to educate their people about it, and that’s what should be happening here”.

He also suggested that “Jamaica needs a powerful PR (public relations) campaign which clearly explains in a balanced and credible way, the clear benefits of vaccination, while at the same time addressing the relatively rare risks involved”.

Golding said the Government must also counter the false arguments that are based on the misinformation that is pervasive on the internet.

“We also think that incentives should be provided to encourage persons to take the vaccine. These benefits should be provided immediately upon an individual being vaccinated.

“A voucher, redeemable for food items, would serve the dual purpose of bringing up the vaccination numbers and also providing relief for families that are struggling to survive in the harsh economic climate,” said Golding.

In claiming that the Opposition was not invited to participate in the national vaccination programme, Golding urged the Government not to politicise the process.

“The prime minister is on his vaccination tour while the Opposition has been excluded from the process,” he remarked.

Continuing, he said “The politicisation of the national vaccination programme is the last thing that Jamaica needs. It should be a national effort with all hands on deck. We (the Opposition) remain willing and open to play our part (and we) endorse that vaccination is important to getting the country through the crisis that we’re in.”

https://jamaica.loopnews.com/content/govt-should-offer-food-packages-get-more-jcans-vaxxed-golding