By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) Covid-19 vaccine will now also be available to prisoners, healthcare and frontline workers.
The Ministry of Health in a press release on Monday evening said in addition to residents in remote areas, the “one shot and done” vaccine will be available to others in critical areas.
The rollout of the 108,000 Janssen vaccines begins this week.
The ministry stated, “Prisoners and staff operate in confined spaces which significantly increases their exposure to infectious diseases e.g. chicken pox and tuberculosis. To date, there have been over 320 Covid-19 positive cases from within the prison system.
“The ‘One Shot and Done’ initiative will reduce the reoccurrence of a Covid-19 outbreak in the prison system.”
On Monday, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds and other officials visited the Golden Grove Maximum Security Prison to dialogue with both inmates and staff about the benefits of being vaccinated.
The ministry stated that it continued to prioritise the healthcare workers who remain a high-risk high-exposure group for contracting the virus and as such that Janssen vaccine will be available to them.
“The ‘One Shot and Done’ initiative will also be extended to all frontline workers across Trinidad and Tobago. Special arrangements will be made to vaccinate these groups,” the ministry stated.
