Results for Health

Tonga's Ministry of Health is in a race against time to inoculate 13,738 teenagers with Pfizer before the precious vaccines expire in 28 days time. Health CEO Dr Siale ‘Akau‘ola urges parents to ensure their 12 to 17-year-old children are inoculated “or they will miss out”.

The inoculation of 12-17 years-old with the Pfizer vaccine at schools in Tongatapu continued today to Tonga High School senior students to protect them against COVID-19.

The repatriates from Pago Pago and Apia were released from quarantine in Tonga last week after they all tested negative for COVID-19 in their last round of tests, confirmed Ministry of Health’s Dr ‘Ofa Tukia today.

Tonga is returning 10,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines to COVAX today so they can be given to Vietnam before the expiry date. The Ministry of Health is disappointed that unvaccinated people have been slow to take up these doses. So far less than 30% of the total population has been vaccinated. The ministry said it is not easy to get the vaccines and now they are trying to get more. Around 31,600 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will arrive in Tonga next week but these are for 12 to 17-year-olds and pregnant women.

Around $20,000 pa’anga will be offered in cash and prizes from Digicel Tonga to help raise awareness of women and men’s health in Tonga during October and November.

The COVID-19 vaccine program will start rolling out in the Niuas on 28 September, the Ministry of Health confirmed yesterday. Meanwhile, the Health CEO Dr Siale ‘Akau'ola urged young people (18-29 years) throughout Tonga to hurry up and get their vaccinations because COVID-19 can reach Tonga. “If you get the vaccine while there is a COVID outbreak, it’s too late. There will be hundreds of lives lost,” he warned.

A repatriation flight from Pago Pago, American Samoa, and Apia, Western Samoa, is now scheduled to arrive in Tonga with nine passengers on 22 September, said MEIDECC CEO Paula Ma’u today.

Over 27,458 people over the age of 18 years in Tonga, have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, since the second dose roll out program started on June 24 in Nuku'alofa, the Ministry of Health confirmed today, 10 September. This represents 43% of the targeted population of 63,128 aged over 18.

Fiji has recorded 128 new cases of COVID-19 over a 24-hour period ending at 8:00am on September 6. There have also been 12 new deaths, in the period from July 27 to September 5, from the virus, which has now claimed 520 lives there.