We will continue to fight and shut down the naysayers, anti vaxxers and opportunists – Dr Waqainabete

We will continue to fight and shut down the naysayers, anti-vaxxers and opportunists who prey on the gullibility of the people.

These were the sentiments of the Minister for Health Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete when providing an update in parliament today on the current status of COVID-19 in Fiji.

Doctor Waqainabete says some people have been talking erroneously about vaccination which includes unregistered doctors who are using the mainstream media and are also part of panel discussions.

He says for the past few months they have seen a spike in dangerous information and individuals posing as experts providing incorrect facts about COVID-19 and the vaccine.

Doctor Waqainabete says they are concerned that people are inclined to resist the vaccine and will cling to this misinformation or even misconstrue facts that are reported correctly which threatens the efforts of the health teams.

The Minister is calling on those who are not vaccinated to get their jab and listen to the facts and not be misguided by misinformation.

Doctor Waqainabete says he has received a concerning message from the Medical Officer in Navosa who was saying that after the administering of the first doses, there are challenges again to roll out the second doses.

He says that we must encourage each other to take both doses as full protection comes two weeks after the second dose.

Doctor Waqainabete also acknowledged bilateral partners for their assistance in Fiji’s fight against COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the Leader of the National Federation Party Professor Biman Prasad says it is no denying that the Health Ministry is now under-resourced and overworked human resources and the frontline workers are battling fatigue.

Professor Prasad says a good example of this is the TISI Sangam’s partnership with the New Zealand government to provide 190 nurses with their salaries to be paid by New Zealand government.

Professor Prasad says the resources put into the failed mitigation strategy and thinking that vaccination will eliminate the virus is flawed.

He says vaccination is important, but the elimination of COVID is more important.

SODELPA MP, Salote Radrodro says one of the biggest problems of this government is implementation failure.

Radrodro says if COVID-19 is really a national crisis than it requires extraordinary measures and that includes working in partnership with members of the opposition and the people.

She says people are asking about vaccination for children and the minister did not address anything about that in his speech.