UN General Assembly
2021

At the core of building resilience is restoring the health and well-being of our people. The pandemic has exacerbated challenges in this area, especially for Small Island Developing States, like Jamaica, which already face limited resources in the health sector. Most regrettably, many lives have been lost and we extend condolences. There are increasing uncertainties as the pandemic continues and new variants emerge. While mitigation efforts to help to reduce transmission and mortality remain crucial, the long-term solution must be vaccines that are accessible to all. We know that vaccines only work if a critical threshold is attained. Sharing vaccines in a strategic manner, serves the global common good, as no country will be safe until all are safe. Jamaica supports a globally coordinated approach to the scaling up of production and equitable distribution of vaccines, with the United Nations at the core.