The Ministry of Health is urging Fijians not to let the death of three fully vaccinated people hinder their choice of getting fully vaccinated.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong has once again stressed that the vaccine provides 92 percent protection.

Doctor Fong clarified that the three individuals had existing medical conditions that placed them at higher risk of severe disease.

He says that eight percent of individuals with comorbid issues cannot mount a good immune response even after getting vaccinated.

“Everybody who is morbidly obese has a lower ability to tolerate COVID-19 and when you give them the vaccine they have a better ability to tolerate COVID-19. Their ability to tolerate is not as good as people with normal immune responses.”

The Permanent Secretary says it’s unfortunate that fully vaccinated people can still get severe COVID-19.

As of the 27th of August, 95.2% of the target population have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

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