Kingston, Jamaica, June 7, 2024 (PAHO) - The Pan AMerican Health Organization hosted a Vaccine Education Workshop as part of the Medical Association of Jamaica and the Ministry of Health and Wellness’s 2024 Symposium "Resilience in Health Care! A Global Imperative" on June 7, 2024. The webinar, which had the participation of more than 230 participants, focused on how physicians can help increase vaccine uptake in Jamaica.
The webinar opened with a presentation from Dr. Julia Rowe-Porter, Director of the Family Health Unit in Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness, who presented on the country’s immunization program and trends in coverage rates over the past several years. She noted that the country is not consistent in meeting its 95% coverage target for childhood antigens, although there has been progress made since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The next presentation, by PAHO consultant Lauren Vulanovic, aimed to help physicians counsel patients about vaccination. The presentation included theoretical frameworks for framing discussions, the practical application of the framework, and approaches physicians can use during discussions with patients. Participants also worked on virtual collaborative activities where they could apply the topics discussed during the presentation on overcoming practical barriers, counseling hesitant patients about MMR and HPV vaccination, and speaking with hesitant colleagues.
The moderator of the session, Lisa Bayley, Communications Specialist for Health Promotion for PAHO/WHO’s Subregional Program Coordination in the Caribbean, noted the importance of the session given that health workers are the most trusted sources of information on vaccination.
During the three-day virtual conference, the Director of PAHO, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, brought greetings via a pre-recorded message in which he stressed the importance of strengthening health systems to ensure health security and improve efficiency in the health sector.
More information on increasing vaccine uptake can be found at: https://www.paho.org/en/topics/immunization/immunization-toolkit/behavioral-science-vaccine-demand-and-confidence
