By Martha Taumata Faavae
NEOC is not looking too far beyond the arrival of the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines tentatively on the first week of April.
The plan is to go straight into mass public injections once the vaccines are delivered.
Close to 80,000 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine are on the way for Samoa.
Injections of the vaccine are normally done in separate doses at between 8 to 12 weeks intervals.
NEOC Chairman Agafili Shem Leo is reluctant by too many uncertainties to comment on easing down current health safety restrictions with the vaccinations.
He said they have not talked about it yet as it is still too early.
“We’re looking at having the vaccines by the first week of April but we are not certain, it all depends on our overseas suppliers, ” Agafili admitted not wanting to commit to any confirmed date.
“We also cannot say if the vaccines will be delivered all at once or in a series of batches.”
All the NEOC planning in the coming days are concentrated solely on receiving the vaccines and rolling out the injections as quickly as possibly.
Scheduled repatriation flights for this month of March are on hold until after the scheduled vaccinations.
Fiji received its first batch of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for 12,000 doses at the beginning of the week.
“These vaccines represent more than the way back to normal life; they are the shot of life our economy, our industries, and thousands of Fijian breadwinners need,” Fiji’s Prime Minister Bainimarama said at Nadi Airport where it was delivered.
He said it was about “… bringing back jobs, reconnecting families across borders and reclaiming Fiji’s rightful place in the world.”
“For all Fijians, there is a light at the end of this tunnel, and that glimmer of hope shines brightly.”
The Fijian Ministry of Health and Medical Services is targeting frontline staff in line with global recommendations.
NEOC is following the same priority with the local staff at the borders, who are the first to be exposed to inbound travellers from outside Samoa.
The WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) interim recommendation is for priority to be given to health workers at high risk of exposure and older people, including those aged 65 or older.
The WHO advisory group recommends that public health measures must be maintained and strengthen : masking, physical distancing, handwashing, respiratory and cough hygiene, avoiding crowds.