ONLY 20 per cent of Fiji’s population would be guaranteed to receive the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.
Under the current agreement with the multi-country COVAX facility, each developing country would receive enough doses to vaccinate 20 per cent of its population.
According to the European Union, which is one of the major donors of the COVAX facility, 20 per cent of Fiji’s population equated to 108,000 people.
While welcoming the first 12,000 doses in Nadi over the weekend, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama explained this was not enough for Fiji.
“Tonight marks an important start for COVAX in the Pacific, but it is just that – a start,” he said.
“Fiji is not a big country yet we are only guaranteed enough vaccines for 20 per cent of our population through COVAX and the timeline for when all of those vaccines arrive is uncertain. ”
We’ve received a small box of vaccines. ”
We’re grateful for it, but we need many more boxes to catch up to the developed nations which already have public immunisation campaigns well underway.” He said Government was in talks with bilateral partners to procure more vaccines from manufacturers.
“Fiji is prepared to pay for those doses if need be. “My fellow Fijians, there will be no waiting out this pandemic.
“Like measles and other illnesses, we may always have to contend with COVID-19. “These vaccines represent more than the way back to normal life.”
