Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama.[Source: Fijian Government]

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has assured that the AstraZeneca vaccines work and are safe.

Bainimarama says vaccines are the key to our economic recovery.

Opening the Nationwide consultation meeting on the development of the Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia plan in Suva this morning, Bainimarama called on all Fijians to support the roll-out of the vaccination program for COVID-19.

“This vaccine is part of the arsenal of public health measures that we have employed to date, that we are relying on to protect our people and prepare our nation to re-engage with the rest of the world and reclaim the position in global affairs we’ve worked so hard to achieve.”

Bainimarama says they are targeting 6,000 frontline individuals in the first batch of vaccination.

“We are working on procuring all of the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines we need to see that our people are immunized alongside the citizens of developed nations – we will not allow ourselves to be left behind.”  

The Head of Government also acknowledged the World Health Organization and the COVAX facility for providing the first 12,000 doses of vaccine.

Fiji looks forward to receiving the rest of the vaccines under this arrangement soon.