206,658 Fijians receive their first doses of AstraZeneca - 4,599 take their second doses

206,658 people have received their first doses and 4,599 have taken their second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, AstraZeneca so far.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says from Monday to yesterday, they administered 70,693 first doses and 482 second doses.

Meanwhile Doctor Fong says experience worldwide and in Fiji has shown that the COVID-19 vaccines in use, including the AstraZeneca vaccine that are being administered to the people in Fiji, are effective and safe.

He says all vaccines carry some risks, but adverse reactions to vaccines are rare.

Doctor Fong says we have more than a century of experience with vaccines, and we can thank them for eradicating smallpox and preventing diseases like polio and measles, whose victims are largely children.

He says on the other hand, illness from the coronavirus is not rare, and the consequences can be fatal.

The Permanent Secretary says thd vaccine helps to protect against severe disease.

People are urged to listen to the medical experts about vaccine safety, not random people spreading false information on social media and the internet.