Jamaica Deploys Resilient Immunization Information System

Hurricane Melissa's arrival in October 2025 left a visible mark on health facilities across Jamaica. For health workers, this disaster is more than an inconvenience; it is also an obstacle to continuity of care and effective immunization services.

Against this backdrop, a ceremony for Jamaica's national electronic immunization registry (EIR) pilot project was held on December 11, 2025.

According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the EIR pilot is part of a broader effort to modernize immunization services across Jamaica. An ongoing pilot across 18 project sites, the system will enable vaccination data to be entered in real time at the point of care and stored securely in disaster-proof data centers.

By reducing reliance on paper records, which can be easily damaged or lost, the system will support health teams to access timely information for follow-up and service delivery. The pilot is expected to benefit approximately 135,000 people, says the PAHO.

At Mocho Health Centre, targeted actions informed by data use and management increased first-dose HPV uptake from 27 to 114 within a single month, illustrating how timely, reliable information can improve immunization outcomes.

Similar to the U.S. CDC's Immunization Information Systems and IZ Gateway, the EIR is more than a digital system. It collects critical health information, facilitates continuity of health services, and empowers health workers to deliver services with precision and confidence, even during emergencies.

With the new EIR, health teams will be able to track coverage, respond to gaps, and plan interventions in real time.

By guiding Jamaica's Expanded Programme on Immunization and supporting expanded vaccination coverage nationwide, the upcoming registry is already building stronger, more innovative health services and healthier communities across the country.

This EIR project will empower countries such as the United States to issue more informed Travel Health Notices in 2026.

Currently, the U.S. CDC provides routine and travel vaccination recommendations for visiting Jamaica.

And because of Hurricane Melissa's devastation, the health ministry reported (#36) 71 suspected, probable, or confirmed cases of leptospirosis. Among these cases, seven fatalities have been confirmed as related to leptospirosis.

And in the United Kingdom, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office offers country-specific travel advice, including information on travel entry requirements for Jamaica, as well as safety and security advice.

As of December 18, 2025, the UK says contaminated food and water can spread several infectious diseases, including cholera, hepatitis A, travellers' diarrhoea, and typhoid. Travellers' diarrhoea is widespread in those visiting low-income countries such as Jamaica.