Jamaica receives its third shipment with 75,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, this time from the African Medical Supply Platform.

Health Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton says the vaccines will be used in the third vaccination blitz, the largest yet, set for Saturday, April 10 and lasting for 3 to 4 days.

Among the priority groups are persons 60 years and older, teachers and tourism workers.

Meanwhile, People aged under 30 in the UK are to be offered an alternative COVID-19 jab to the AstraZeneca vaccine due to the evidence linking it to rare blood clots.

The EU’s medicines regulator says the unusual blood clots should be listed as a possible very rare side effect of the vaccine, but that the benefits outweigh the risks.

Dr. Tufton says the Government continues to defend the administration of the vaccine. 

A fourth shipment with about 50,000 doses of the vaccine is expected in another 2 weeks from the COVAX facility.