Herd immunity
‘Hesitation factor still huge’
AS of July 6, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH) 56 per cent of the target population has received at least one dose and just under 10 per cent are now fully vaccinated nationwide.
I was hoping that the uptake of those taking the vaccine would have improved, but it seems the hesitation factor is still huge and one cannot put a timeline to herd immunity.
That said, I am grateful to the leaders in the communities for taking up the challenge to convince their people to take the jab.
Faith leaders in particular have been very active, with the various heads at the forefront of the campaign extolling their flocks to be vaccinated.
Fiji needs to be laser focused on the vaccination campaign. We need to vaccinate some 80 per cent of our population which provides herd immunity and a return to some semblance of normalcy to our lives.
Firm and decisive leadership is needed to point us in that direction and show people that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Is it in October? November? Or December?
Unfortunately, that leadership is missing and all we have are more and more distressing news. It is tragic that, at the time of writing this, the MOH reports 791 new COVID-19 cases, three COVID deaths, bringing the total of 42 COVID-related deaths plus 19 other deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. One of those that died was a doctor.
Someone has calculated that relative to our population and applying the same to India, there would be some one million positive cases in India each day! We have reached a point where we are numb and nothing shocks us anymore.
Sadly, people are dying, and the death toll is related to whether one has taken the vaccine or not. MOH appears to be stressing this point when they report that most of the dead did not take the vaccine. It’s grim and macabre, perhaps designed to motivate people to take the jab.
But, it should not be that way as we in Opposition continue to call on Government for a bipartisan approach. We have said time and again, “call us, we’ll join in the efforts and do it together with you. Let’s rally the people behind us and get to herd immunity”.
It’s time to heed the call, it’s time to call everyone to the table. We are in a national humanitarian crisis, it requires a national coordinated approach. Government cannot do this alone, everyone is doing their part but we now need each other. We just come together and get everyone on board the journey to herd immunity. With only 10 per cent of the population having had the two shots, the road ahead is tough, all the more reason to pull all the forces together to win our people over.
SODELPA joins others in calling for the Government to bring all stakeholders together – faith leaders, community and NGOs’ leaders, traditional and vanua-based leaders, business leaders, and women and youth leaders. Let’s target each community, each settlement, each province, each workplace, each church, each temple, each mosque and talk with members of each community about the goal of herd community.
Some are suggesting that the side effects elements are causing hesitancy and perhaps some sort of compensation be provided for those that do have serious side effects, and covered under the Accident Compensation Commission Fiji (ACCF). Others are saying that donors have contributed money towards the vaccination campaign and cash should be paid to incentivise people to take the jab.
It is important to understand the psychology behind all these hesitancy and devise more community oriented and innovative ways to reach the target population. Put simply, we have to do whatever is feasible to bring us normalcy.
The introduction of the drive through vaccination this week at Albert Park in Suva - a joint initiative between the MOH and the Suva City Council - is a world class initiative to be commended. Hundreds of Fijians who preferred not to join crowded community venues queued up in their vehicles – families remaining in their bubble with the elderly and those with disabilities. I say bravo! Now those in Lautoka and elsewhere are calling for this drivethrough mode.
But it is also important for those hesitant to be vaccinated to contemplate what life would be like for them with COVID-19.
It is generally accepted that COVID-19 is here to stay. It has paralysed the world for some 18 months now; and although we are tired of it, the new thinking is that we now have to live with it.
Australia is heading in that direction and once they reach herd immunity, COVID-19 gets downgraded from pandemic to endemic. It then becomes just like a flu.
What is interesting though is how the unvaccinated will fare in an environment where herd immunity has brought life back to normal.
In the case of Australia, there is the four phases of transition, comprising Phase ‘A’, Vaccinate, prepare and pilot; Phase ‘B” Post vaccination; Phase ‘C’ Consolidate; and Phase ‘D’ final.
On Phase ‘B’ they will:
Ø ease restrictions on vaccinated residents;
Ø restore inbound passenger caps for unvaccinated returning travellers and larger caps for vaccinated returning travellers; and
Ø introduce new reduced quarantine arrangements for vaccinated residents.
With Phase ‘C’ they will:
Ø exempt all vaccinated travelers from all domestic restriction;
Ø abolish caps on returning vaccinated travellers; and Ø lift all restrictions on outbound travel for vaccinated persons.
And on Phase ‘D’ they will:
Ø allow uncapped inbound arrival for all vaccinated persons without quarantine; and
Ø allow uncapped arrivals of non-vaccinated travelers subject to pre-flight and on arrival testing.
What is very clear here is that in Australia, the vaccinated person will have an easier time than the unvaccinated person in the new normal COVID-19.
I dare say the same will apply in New Zealand and other countries that decide to bring in normalcy after attaining herd immunity.
Fiji will do likewise as we will wish to emulate the template of those countries that are close and important to us.
It therefore behooves everyone to get vaccinated to enjoy a hassle free life.
And of course we Fijians are travelers whether within Fiji or overseas. What if the providers of transportation (cars, buses, boats, airplanes) required by law to ensure safety for their passengers, refuse to carry non-vaccinated person?
I always remember signs in the Canadian Airports, saying something like: “You have every right to refuse to be searched, if you don’t want to fly”.
More can be said about this, but I make the case that we must all get vaccinated to live normally with our people in the new COVID-19 normal. Not being vaccinated will be too much hassle.
All these can be accomplished if Government plays the lead role and include stakeholders in the campaign towards herd immunity. We all have a stake in this beloved country we call home. It is a no-brainer, but somehow the leader today, the Prime Minister, cannot pick up the phone and call. As president of COP 23, he was the proponent of the ‘talanoa’ way, unique to Fiji, when president of COP 23 in dealing with world players.
Listening is the cornerstone of ‘talanoa’ and the people are wondering when the PM will do that - listen.