LAUTOKA Hospital consultant anaesthetist Dr Mara Vukivukiseru yesterday became the first Fijian in the country to be injected with the AstraZeneca vaccine at Nadi International Airport.
He described the experience as “a very big, first beautiful step in the right direction”.
“I am elated and very happy, I am happy not only for myself and my family but also very happy because the rest of the healthcare workers who are on the front line will be vaccinated as well,” Dr Vukivukiseru said.
“The frontline workers will be assured of some sort of confidence in going and looking after the COVID-19 positive patients in the wards, knowing that they are protected.”
He said being the first Fijian vaccinated in-country would give some confidence to healthcare workers and the whole of Fiji.
“It will also take out some of the false beliefs and some of the myths that have been created about the vaccine in the country.”
Along with Dr Vukivukiseru, nine other frontline workers also received the AstraZeneca jab.
Health and Medical Services Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete said Fiji had a layered approach to the pandemic and one of the most important layers was border quarantine.
Dr Waqainabete said 12,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived into the country on Saturday under the COVAX facility.
