Tonga has welcomed 24,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines as part of a global initiative to share vaccines equitably across the world.
Australia’s $80 million contribution to the COVAX AMC has made this first round of deliveries possible. We will support Tonga deliver these lifesaving vaccines to frontline health workers, quarantine workers, the elderly and other vulnerable people.
“Australia will do this in partnership with your country’s priorities and needs” said Adrian Morrison, Australian High Commissioner to Tonga.
“There is no higher priority for Australia than working with our neighbours to access safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines.”
This is the first delivery of vaccines for Tonga as part of the COVAX AMC, which has allocated one million doses in this initial round to the Pacific.
The COVAX AMC ensures all eligible developing countries have sufficient doses to vaccinate up to 20 per cent of their populations in the first instance by the end of 2021. Tonga is expecting an additional shipment of COVID-19 vaccines at the end of April, which once delivered will cover almost all of this initial allocation.
“Tonga is one of our closest neighbours. We are family, friends, neighbours and partners, and your future is our future. It is by working together with our neighbours that we will save lives, help economies reopen and ensure our region’s stability,” High Commissioner Morrison said.
The COVAX Facility is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi and the World Health Organization, alongside key delivery partner UNICEF.
Australia’s contribution to the COVAX AMC complements our $523.2 million COVID-19 regional Vaccine Access and Health Security Initiative for the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
Australia also announced a further $100 million for the landmark Vaccine Partnership with other Quad members, India, Japan and the US, which will provide over one billion vaccines to the Indo-Pacific by 2022.
“Australia strongly believes that our region will recover quicker from the pandemic if we work together to provide essential vaccines,” High Commissioner Morrison said.
Photo supplied Australia HC Caption: COVAX vaccines arrive in Tonga