SAMOA ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE COVID-19 VACCINE
By: Asenati Taugasolo Semu
Government has taken the necessary actions to ensure that once a COVID-19 medically approved vaccine is available, Samoa will be eligible to receive the vaccines.
This was confirmed by Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi last Friday, during his weekly program ‘Taimi ma le Palemia’ with TV1.
“I gave my approval for Samoa to be included in this group of countries so that we can immediately get our supply of the vaccine once a medically certified and safe COVID-19 vaccine is available,” said Tuilaepa.
“Until then, our border control security measures will not be fully relaxed,”
And in for the time being, the Prime Minister is again reiterating the better safe than sorry message.
Although Samoa is still COVID-19 free, the Prime Minister again urges the people to continue with the pandemic prevention measures. And most importantly keep the faith alive.
Tuilaepa’s optimism is prompted by the announcement from Canberra for the Pacific countries including Samoa, which have been granted access to a COVID19 vaccine funded by the Australian Government at a cost of AUST$80 million.
Australia’s contribution will help secure COVID-19 vaccines for Pacific Island and Southeast Asian countries, said a Government press statement.
The AMC will address the acute phase of the pandemic, providing doses for up to 20 percent of countries’ populations in its first phase, ensuring that health care workers and vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, have access.”
Pacific countries eligible for COVAX AMC support include Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Kiribati.
Eligible countries from Southeast Asia are Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, The Philippines and Vietnam.
Australia works together with the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy and Norway in driving this international investment in vaccine manufacturing and procurement.
The COVAX AMC forms part of the wider COVAX Facility, a global mechanism designed to enable rapid, fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines to end the acute phase of the pandemic by 2021.
