Fiji will have an estimated 86,000 doses of vaccine by the end of the week after donations from New Zealand and Australia arrived.
The roll-out will be prioritised for those engaged in high-risk jobs or jobs with a high potential of close contacts such as supermarket workers, public vehicle drivers. Frontliners who are due to receive their second dose of the vaccine will also be considered in the forthcoming rollout.
“Our priority will be to provide the first-dose inoculation to the rest of the frontline workers including those who have a high level of public contact in their employment such as taxi and bus drivers and those working in supermarkets; Fijians living in densely populated areas; and to individuals who are particularly vulnerable because of age, compromised immunity and certain chronic illnesses,” Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Dr James Fong said in a statement.
“Furthermore, we will complete the vaccination process for those who have already received their first dose.”
The program for the second dose is anticipated to start soon – and it will be administered 12 weeks from the first dose for maximum immunity.
In an effort to get more Fijians vaccinated and minimize public movement as much as possible, the ministry plans to deploy mobile vaccinations units and also create drive through vaccinations sites. Locations of these drive-through sites will be announced next week.
