Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor Jemesa Tudravu says one thing they noticed during the recent Fiji National Immunisation Coverage Survey is the rise in vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Tudravu highlighted this at the dissemination of the report at the Holiday Inn, saying it has revealed some challenges that need to be addressed for vaccine uptake in older children.
He says this has affected vaccine confidence for some parents and they need to address this quickly with evidence-based solutions urging the stakeholders present that enhancing vaccination rates is a shared responsibility.
The Permanent Secretary says it demands the united effort of healthcare professionals, community leaders, parents, and policy makers.
He says this survey was commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services with the support of their partners, UNICEF and WHO, to understand vaccination coverage and identify areas of improvement.
