COVID-19 vaccine program to roll-out in Niuas [1]
Thursday, September 23, 2021 - 18:20. Updated on Thursday, September 23, 2021 - 18:26.
Tonga's COVID-19 vaccine program will start rolling out in the Niuas on 28 September, confirmed the Ministry of Health Minister Hon Dr ‘Amelia Tu’ipulotu yesterday.
Around 836 people are targeted to be vaccinated on the remote northern islands of Niuafo’ou and Niuatoputapu.
Throughout Tonga, vaccinations are still ongoing for people 18-years-old and above, but 1,233 people who have had their first dose are yet to come forward for their second dose.
The age group 18 – 29 years have the lowest rate of vaccination so far.
Ministry of Health CEO, Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola said it is very important that they get vaccinated because they can get the Delta variant of COVID-19, and it can also affect 12 to 17-year-olds.
While there are plans for Tonga to receive the Pfizer vaccine later this year, Dr ‘Akau’ola said the vaccination drive will target 12-17 year olds.
Young lives can be lost
“The reason we are pushing these age groups is because if Delta gets in, lives can be lost.”
“At the beginning of COVID-19 it was thought this group was untouchable, they would not get sick. But now, they can lose their lives.”
“We don’t want to let this opportunity go by to protect this group. There will probably be some that don’t want to be vaccinated but right now is their opportunity.”
At the moment, Tonga is repatriating people from countries that don’t have COVID-19 community transmission.
Virus can get to Tonga
However, Dr ‘Akau’ola warned that the virus can still get here on the plane.
“That is why we are pushing [vaccination]. If COVID-19 comes we are ready and people have been given that opportunity to make the right choice to protect themselves.”
“If not, when there comes a time COVID-19 enters Tonga, getting the vaccination is too late. Fiji is an example of this. If you get the vaccine while there is a COVID outbreak, it’s too late. There will be hundreds of lives lost before reaching that [vaccination] level.”
Dr ‘Akau’ola said we don’t want that to happen in Tonga to ‘crucify’ around 500 people and then carry on with the vaccination.
“We aim to protect everyone, if COVID arrives, people will have been vaccinated.”
By the morning of 22 September, 46,985 people had been inoculated with the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and around 27,534 had the second dose.