COVID-19 is a killer and we must fully vaccinate all of our adult population as quickly as possible

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says the COVID-19 virus is a killer that no Fijian can afford to treat lightly, and we must fully vaccinate all of our adult population as quickly as possible.

Doctor Fong says they know from extensive evidence, including from Public Health England, that vaccines offer excellent protection against hospitalisation and death from the virus, including against the Delta variant present in Fiji.

He says the vaccines they have reserved for every Fijian offer at least 92% protection against hospitalisation, which is remarkable, but the vaccine requires two doses to offer that protection, not one dose.

Doctor Fong says it takes an additional two weeks after the second dose for the full protection from the virus to set in.

He also confirms that of the four confirmed COVID deaths reported yesterday, none were fully vaccinated against the virus.

Three were not vaccinated at all and one had received only one dose of a vaccine.

The Permanent Secretary says this means two doses for every eligible Fijian.

Doctor Fong says if you have already received one dose, please come forward for dose number two.

If you have not had the chance to be vaccinated, he says the Health Ministry will make that opportunity available to you soon.

He says thanks to our diplomatic efforts, and the support of India, Australia and New Zealand, we have enough vaccines on the way for every adult in Fiji.

So far, more than 280,000 Fijians have received at least one dose of a vaccine.

More than 18,000 are already fully-vaccinated.

Doctor Fong says of the nearly 300,000 people which have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, there are zero deaths caused by a COVID-19 vaccine in Fiji.

He says every report of an adverse event has been thoroughly investigated.

The Permanent Secretary says no serious ill effects have been linked to the vaccine. He says that is in line with the global data that shows the risk of such an adverse event is extremely low.

Of the 2,479 cases detected in this outbreak, 11 Fijians have died from the virus.

Doctor Fong asks everyone to please do the math.

He says this virus is a killer, the risk that it claims more lives is huge.

The Permanent Secretary says in contrast, vaccines offer us huge protection and we need that protection urgently.