Tonga is now the third Pacific country to receive the Covid-19 AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines.
Minister for Health, Professor ‘Amelia Afuha’amango Tu’ipulotu confirmed the arrival of the Covid-19 AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines yesterday (Wednesday).
The vaccines have been made available through the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility.
Tu’ipulotu has confirmed that the rollout will begin on Thursday 15 April 2021.
The rollout will be implemented according to priority groups, as has been the practice, globally.
This is due to limited vaccines available worldwide.
The Ministry intends to first vaccinate frontline workers including staff from the Health Ministry, Tonga Police, His Majesty’s Armed Forces, Tonga Fire and Emergency Services, ports and airport staff.
Frontliners work daily to ensure that Tonga is safe from Covid-19 and they must be well protected first.
A National Technical Working Group (TWG) has been established to manage all aspects of the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out. The Group is working closely with World Health Organisation and UNICEF to support health workers and all stakeholders involved in the rollout.
This includes capacity building for frontline workers, coordinating resources for safe storage and vaccination capacity and providing timely information and knowledge to the public about the Covid-19 vaccine.
Tonga is not new to immunization and in the past the Ministry has had great success with vaccine rollout due to communities cooperating well. It is anticipated that this rollout will be no different as the Ministry continues to work together with the public at for the national rollout.
COVAX is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi and the World Health Organization (WHO), alongside key delivery partner, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The facility offers a reliable supply of safe and efficient vaccines especially for Pacific countries like Tonga, who do not have direct access to manufacturers.
The Ministry has acknowledged the support from the WHO, the New Zealand and Australian governments, Japan, and partners including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank and European Union, in obtaining safe and efficient vaccines to protect the people of Tonga from COVID-19.
The Ministry of Health has also thanked the general public’s role in adhering to national rules and regulations.