100,000 jabs arrive

Bainimarama acknowledges Modi

PRIME Minister Voreqe Bainimarama received a consignment of 100,000 doses of Made in India Covishield (AstraZeneca) vaccines on Monday night.

He acknowledged his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, for the assistance and their commitment to humanity.

“In a bleak year for multilateralism, your leadership will not be forgotten and through the Vaccine Maitri initiative, India is adding the missing piece of equity to the COVID equation,” he said

Mr Bainimarama said the latest data on the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines showed it was both safe and highly effective.

“This 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines will immediately go towards protecting the remaining of the frontliners, our doctors, nurses, quarantine and hotel workers, members of the disciplined forces and will also kickstart the second phase of our vaccine rollout, which will include the more vulnerable segments of our population.”

He said with the arrival of vaccines, Fiji was one giant step closer to seeing a postpandemic Fiji.

Acting High Commissioner of India to Fiji, Saifullah Khan, said the arrival of AstraZeneca vaccines marked another milestone in the bilateral relations between the two countries.

This 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines will immediately go towards protecting the remaining of the frontliners, our doctors, nurses, quarantine and hotel workers, members of the disciplined forces and will also kickstart ... ~ Voreqe Bainimarama

Meanwhile, Mr Bainimarama said Fiji would receive another shipment of 90,000 doses in the coming weeks and looked forward to working with development partners on a bilateral basis to secure the many more shipments of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines.

“Particularly, we will be looking to those nations that have a surplus of vaccines and which have the production rights and capacity to produce these medical marvels.”