Devi clarifies choice of vaccine

FIJI was given the opportunity to ask for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, but chose AstraZeneca instead because it was readily available and fits well with “our culture and systems”.

This, according to head of the COVID-19 vaccine task force Dr Rachel Devi.

She made the comment during the Fiji National University’s “Explain the Science” panel discussion last Friday.

Dr Devi said Fiji entered the vaccine discussion after it became part of the COVAX facility.

She said Fiji was given the opportunity to request for Pfizer, but could not gain access to it because of the urgent need by countries facing huge outbreaks.

“So they needed jabs and arms as soon as possible to have control over it,” she said.

“So in the course where vaccines became available, we were offered the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was very close, obviously, in terms of the efficacy, the results that we saw with AstraZeneca.

“We took it because this was our chance of getting all individuals vaccinated with this vaccine that was endorsed by WHO and put it through its emergency use listing.

“One of the important things to know is that the AstraZeneca vaccine, compared to the Pfizer vaccine, fits very well into our culture and systems.

“The cooling systems for our normal immunisation goes from plus two to plus eight degrees Celsius, and AstraZeneca vaccine fitted right into it in comparison to Pfizer vaccine, which initially started off with a minus 80, which is ultra cold chain storage capacity.”