UPDATE ON THE COVID-19 VACCINE INCENTIVE PROGRAMME

Kingston, Jamaica: Friday, February 18, 2022

Objective of the COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Programme

The COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Programme (the “Programme”) was introduced by the Government of Jamaica (“GOJ”) earlier this fiscal year to encourage citizens aged 60 and over to become fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Grant (the “Grant”) Is a grant payment of $10,000 to citizens 60 years or older who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as evidenced by vaccination records at the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

Update on Applications, Eligibility and Payments

Since the launch of the Programme 56,331 persons have applied for the COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Grant through the online portal and 48,332 have been confirmed by the Ministry of Health and Wellness (“MOHW”) as eligible by reference to vaccination records held by the MOHW. Thus far, COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Grants have been paid to 45,550 eligible applicants.

Issues Contributing to Delays

(1) Confirmation of eligibility for the COVID-19 Vaccination Incentive Grant has been delayed for 7,999 applicants due to the non-validation of full vaccination status.  That is, from electronic queries to the MOHW database, we have not yet been able to validate that these applicants are fully vaccinated.

Grants cannot be paid to applicants without this validation of an applicant’s vaccination status.

(2) Of the 48,332 applicants whose vaccination status has been verified, for approximately 2,782 applicants, their bank account information does not match with the information held by their bank.

Grants cannot be paid to applicants if the banking information they provide is not verified by their bank.

Resolution of the Issues

To address these issues we have done the following:

(1) Sent text or email messages to persons who have not been validated via the MOHW database asking that they upload the information on their vaccination cards to the MOHW website at https://bit.ly/3rdZxhs; and

(2) Sent text or email messages to persons whose commercial bank information could not be verified asking that they address the discrepancies identified.

We will continue to work with the MOHW and others to resolve the issues and will provide a further update in due course.

-end-

contact: 

Corporate Communication & Public Relations Branch

Ministry of Finance and the Public Service

30 National Heroes Circle

Kingston 4

Tel: (876) 932-4656/4660/4655

Mobile: 876-809-4863

Email:  Shakiel.Rochester-Shorter@mof.gov.jm, Shelly-Ann.Weeks@mof.gov.jm;

Contact: Shakiel Rochester Shorter, Shelly-Ann Weeks