Vaccines will be rolled out in three phases to persons above the age of 18 years, starting with frontline workers, Fiji’s Attorney General and Minister for Communication Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum confirms.
In his presentation in parliament this morning, Sayed-Khaiyum shared on the work done by the Fijian Government to procure vaccines, bilateral relations to facilitate the provision of vaccines to Fijians and the work that needs to be done in Fiji to ensure it is able to store these vaccines, some of which need to be stored at minus 70 celsius to ensure they do not lose their effectiveness.
A digital registry is also being developed, he said, to ensure that people in Fiji are vaccinated within dosage timelines.
The priority group when vaccination starts, will cover all frontliner workers including those who work in the Fiji’s border – both land, air and sea – hotel workers who work in quarantine facility and their immediate family members.
Phase two of the vaccination will cover vulnerable persons, including but not limited to those who have preexisting commodity issues such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiac issues including RHD etc.
The final and third phase is aimed at those above 60 years of age, followed by those above 18.
Minister for Waqainabete Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete also told parliament today that they would consider people under the age of 18 years for vaccines when studies concur.
Fiji’s vaccination campaign will cover individuals above the age of 18 years as all clinical trials of COVID19 vaccine were all conducted on this age group, Sayed-Khaiyum had said.
