WISYNCO REFRESHES VACCINATION BLITZ CENTRES

 

 (l-r) Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW), Dunstan Bryan and Medical Officer Kingston and St Andrew (KSA) Health Department, Dr. Susan Strachan-Johnson listen attentively to Wisynco Marketing Assistant, Brittany Roberts on Tuesday, April 13 at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston. 

St. Catherine, Jamaica; Beverage company, Wisynco Group Limited, is continuing its participation in the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ island-wide Vaccination Blitz exercises. The manufacturing and distribution giant has already donated some 30,000 bottles of its WATA, CranWATA, and Powerade products to seven Vaccination Blitz centres in Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Catherine, Clarendon, St. James Manchester, and St. Ann in a bid to keep frontline workers and persons receiving the precious jab hydrated.

 

As tens of thousands of Jamaicans anticipate the arrival and administration of the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to achieve full immunity against the Coronavirus, Senior Medical Officer (SMO) at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), Dr. Natalie Whylie, asserts that proper hydration before getting the vaccine will contribute to the body’s well-being.

 

“Approximately 70 percent of the body is made up of water. So, with COVID-19, the body needs to be as healthy as it can be so that your immune system is prepared to defend the body against COVID. The vaccine plays an important role because it improves the body’s ability to defend itself in the event of exposure to COVID. So, in preparation for vaccination, hydration is critical. So as part of the preparation for the vaccine, persons should ensure they are properly hydrated,” explained Dr. Whylie.

 

Generally, drinking water contributes to overall health. It can prevent dehydration, a condition that can cause unclear thinking, result in mood change, cause your body to overheat, and lead to constipation and kidney stones.

 

Dr. Whylie says while the vaccine is critical in the role of prevention and the response to COVID, it is important to remember other precautions during the pandemic. “Maintaining that physical distance, regular handwashing or sanitizing and doing whatever you can to improve your body’s immune response which includes taking vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, increasing exposure to sunlight, making sure that you maintain a healthy diet… and still try to get regular physical exercise.”

 

Senior Marketing Officer at Wisynco, Tamara Ward, says the company’s participation in the vaccination exercises is one way in which Wisynco’s COVID Response Team, instated in early 2020, have implemented support mechanisms for staff and Jamaicans alike. “The moment Wisynco realized the imminent threat to Jamaica and Jamaicans, our C.E.O. appointed a risk management team selected from key departments within the Company to ensure the safety and health of our Wisynco family and communities while maintaining the viability of the business.”

 

Wisynco continues to assist with COVID-19 testing for its team members, medical emergencies, counselling, care packages, protocol observance, and implementation.

 

On the national level, the company has already made sizeable donations of over 20,000 bottles prior for feeding programmes of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA), Jamaica National Children’s Home, Maxfield Park Children’s Home, and Wortley Home for Girls, Food For the Poor, and others.

 

Wisynco continues to lend support through product donations, equipment: such as tents, coolers, tables, and medical innovation; most notably the fabrication of five hundreds of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles to make medical spacers donated to the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) through the KPH to supply. The spacers, also called holding chambers, make it easier to coordinate breathing than traditional inhalers and nebulizers, which is a safer way to deliver inhaled medication to respiratory patients.

 

Ward says the company is working closely with the MOHW to lend further support to island-wide vaccination exercises. As of April 14, 2021, more than 135,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. The government expects to vaccinate 1.9 million Jamaicans by March 2022.