Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum

The Minister for Economy yesterday highlighted that countries with just 16 percent of the world’s population have bought up 60 percent of the world’s vaccine supply.

Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says so far, COVID-19 vaccination is shaping up to be a rich country’s race.

He adds that this is causing the gap between the developed and developing countries as well as the large and small nations grow wider than ever.

“That means that the world’s recovery risks being relegated to that concentrated group of countries. Medically that doesn’t make sense. We know no nation is safe unless all nations are safe.”

Sayed-Khaiyum also emphasized the need for Fiji to secure its place in the world’s economic come back by securing vaccine not months after the rest of the world, but alongside them.

“Otherwise our people will be made more vulnerable than they have ever been, exposed to infection, economically disadvantaged and left behind as the rest of the world races ahead.”

The Economy Minister says the success of our recovery hinges on our timing in securing vaccines.