BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
As of yesterday, the pilot covid-19 vaccination programme is still to reach halfway, with just over a week to go for Honiara.
Only 2,651 have been jabbed, said prime minister Manasseh Sogavare in his nationwide address.
Seven thousand doses have been allocated to be administered in Honiara, in the first phase of the roll-out programme. The second phase will be carried out in the border, with 17,000 doses put aside for this.
Government last week, after a disappointing low turnout by frontliners to be jabbed, said it has put two weeks for the vaccination roll-out in Honiara to be completed.
This would put just over three weeks for the vaccination programme to be done in Honiara.
Addressing the nation yesterday, Mr Sogavare stressed the urgency of having frontliners vaccinated according to schedule.
“I encourage the remaining front-liners to please go and take your covid-19 vaccines this week,” PM Sogavare said.
Sogavare also that health teams in Western, Choiseul, and Malaita Outer Islands have already commenced awareness meetings in all three provinces.
A team from the Ministry of Health will deploy this week to jointly conduct further training for vaccination teams in the Western and Choiseul provinces in the first instance.
“It is our hope that COVID-19 vaccination will start rolling out in Western Province as early as next Monday, April 12, 2021 to be followed closely by the roll out in Choiseul province and then Malaita outer Islands.
“A total of 17,000 does of the AstraZeneca vaccine is being deployed to the border zone to vaccinate our communities along the emergency zone at the western border.
“As from Monday, April 12 people over 40 years of age who have co-morbidities or existing diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure or asthma etc, to present themselves to the Central Field hospital with your medical records for your first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
“If you are over 40 years old and are healthy and have no other existing disease such a diabetes, or high blood pressure of asthma etc, please do not come at this stage. We will ensure you get vaccinated in future roll-out phases of the vaccination programme” Sogavare added.
