Vaccination rate increases - but not enough to reach targets [1]
Saturday, September 18, 2021 - 22:00. Updated on Monday, September 20, 2021 - 15:59.
Table: Ministry of Health, 16 September 2021.
Another 897 Tongans received their first shots and 51 received their second doses of COVID-19 vaccine, for the week September 10-16, after the Ministry of Health urged the unvaccinated to hurry up and get their shots before the vaccines' expiry date.
Unfortunately, at this rate it would take another 55 weeks to reach the target of 63,128 fully vaccinated people, and not by November 12 this year as planned.
Since Tonga's vaccination campaign began on 15 April 2021, the Ministry of Health reported on September 16 they had reached 46,776 people with first shots, or 74% of the targeted population.
Only 27,509 people in Tonga have been fully vaccinated with two doses of the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine to date, that's around 44% of the target population of 18 years and over. (But it represents only 27.33% of the total population of Tonga, where over 36% of the population are under the age of 15).
The Ministry said last week they needed to reach over 90% of the target this month for the first dose, so the second dose could be administered before 12 November.
However, a high level of full vaccination has been achieved with frontline workers.
This includes the 2,175 out of 2,280 front-liners that have been fully inoculated with 99% of HMAF staff, 97% of Ministry of Health, 95% of Seaport staff, 94% of the Fire Service, 93% of Airport workers, and 89% of Tonga Police (refer to MOH table).
The Ministry said there had been some staff changes, which had altered the number of front-liners who had been fully vaccinated.
It takes 12 weeks for a person's immunity to build up after the first dose, when a person can still catch the virus easily.
They also urged at least 1,258 people who are overdue (>12 weeks) for their second dose.
No extreme allergic adverse reactions have been reported since the second dose roll-out program started on 24 June.