Contested bodies and delayed decisions: Attitudes to COVID-19 vaccines among Jamaicans
| Autor | Aieka Yasheva Smith |
| Cargo | PhD Government |
| Páginas | 185-207 |
185
OPERA, ISSN: 1657-8651, E-ISSN: 2346-2159, N° 32, enero–junio de 2023, pp. 185-207
C B D
D: A COVID-
V J
A Y S*
Abstract
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has
been accompanied by numerous factors which
have adversely affected Small Island Develop-
ing States (SIDS). Despite several COVID-19
vaccination campaigns and the number of in-
dividuals who have been afflicted by, or died
from, contracting the virus, many Jamaicans
have delayed their vaccination against CO-
VID-19. is study investigates the factors
that have shaped the attitudes of Jamaicans
towards COVID-19 vaccines. Its findings
are based on content analysis of Jamaican
newspapers (N=200), including columns,
editorials, and news stories published in the
online editions of two of the country’s lead-
ing publications (e Jamaica Gleaner and
the Jamaica Observer). e study finds that
several factors shape the attitudes of Jamaicans
* PhD Government. e University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. (Jamaica) W.I. Lecturer. Department of
Government. e University of the West Indies, Mona Campus Kingston 7, (Jamaica) W.I. [aieka_smith@yahoo.
com or aieka.smith02@uwimona.edu.jm]; [https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6529-188X]
Recibido: 8 de junio de 2022 / Modificado: 4 de agosto de 2022 / Aprobado: 18 de agosto de 2022
Para citar este artículo:
Smith, A. Y. (2022). Contested Bodies and Delayed Decisions: Attitudes to COVID-19 Vaccines among Jamaicans.
Opera, 32, pp. 185-207.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18601/16578651.n32.10
towards COVID-19 vaccines. ese include
the potential side effects of COVID-19 vac-
cines, personal choice, perception of the pan-
demic, insufficient knowledge regarding the
efficacy of the vaccines, religious beliefs, and
distrust of the Jamaican government and
health authorities. e study highlights that
for SIDS, like Jamaica, which are characterised
by fragile economies and ailing public health
care systems, vaccine hesitancy is a potential
barrier to overcoming some of the challenges
linked to the current pandemic.
e study points to the critical need to
improve the COVID-19 vaccination uptake
among Jamaicans. Understanding the speci-
ficities concerning vaccine hesitancy will al-
low the Jamaican government and healthcare
providers to better organise public sensitisation
campaigns to address the concerns of the un-
vaccinated in Jamaica.
186
OPERA, ISSN: 1657-8651, E-ISSN: 2346-2159, N° 32, enero–junio de 2023, pp. 185-207
Aieka Yasheva Smith
Key words: COVID-19; vaccination; Jamaica;
vaccine hesitancy.
INSTANCIAS DE DISPUTA Y DECISIONES
DEMORADAS: ACTITUDES DE LOS
JAMAICANOS ANTE LAS VACUNAS COVID19
Resumen
El coronavirus de 2019 (covid-19) ha venido
acompañado de numerosos factores que han
afectado negativamente a los pequeños Esta-
dos insulares en desarrollo (PEID). A pesar
de varias campañas de vacunación contra el
covid-19 y del número de personas que han
sufrido o han muerto por haber contraído el
virus, muchos jamaicanos han retrasado su
vacunación. Este estudio investiga los factores
detrás de las actitudes de los jamaicanos hacia
las vacunas contra el covid-19. Sus conclusio-
nes se basan en el análisis del contenido de los
periódicos jamaicanos (N = 200), incluyendo
columnas, editoriales y noticias publicadas en
las ediciones en línea de dos de las principales
publicaciones del país (e Jamaica Gleaner y
Jamaica Observer). El estudio concluye que son
varios los factores que determinan la actitud
de los jamaicanos hacia las vacunas covid-19,
entre ellos se encuentran sus posibles efectos
secundarios, la elección personal, la percepción
de la pandemia, el insuficiente conocimiento
sobre la eficacia de las vacunas, las creencias
religiosas y la desconfianza en el gobierno ja-
maicano y las autoridades sanitarias. El estudio
subraya que para los PEID, como Jamaica, que
se caracterizan por tener economías frágiles y
sistemas de atención sanitaria pública defi-
cientes, la indecisión sobre las vacunas es un
obstáculo potencial para superar algunos de
los retos relacionados con la pandemia actual.
El estudio señala la necesidad crítica de
mejorar la aceptación de la vacuna covid-19
entre los jamaicanos. La comprensión de las
especificidades relativas a la indecisión en la
vacunación permitirá al gobierno jamaicano
y a los proveedores de atención sanitaria or-
ganizar mejor las campañas de sensibilización
pública para abordar las preocupaciones de los
no vacunados en Jamaica.
Palabras clave: covid-19; vacunación; Jamai-
ca; reticencia a vacunación.
INTRODUCTION
COVID-19 originated in Wuhan, China, in
2019, and rapidly spread across the world.
It has aggravated issues like poverty, unem-
ployment, and inequality, all of which have
burdened Jamaica since gaining its indepen-
dence. Although vaccines are controversial,
they have the potential to save lives and reduce
the prevalence of diseases. In Jamaica, there
are many barriers to vaccination uptake and
unvaccinated individuals constitute 98% of
COVID-19-related deaths (Williams, 2022).
The Caribbean Community (CARI-
COM) is a prime beneficiary of vaccine di-
plomacy. Member states like Jamaica have
received donations of COVID-19 vaccines
from their bilateral partners, for example, In-
dia, China, and the United States of America
(USA). On March 15, 2021, Jamaica received
14,400 vaccines through the COVAX Facility
which is a global effort between the Coalition
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