Nurses undergo vax training
HEALTH Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete says while Fiji has had its fair share of challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, science has held out one great hope and that is vaccination.
Speaking at the official opening of the pediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine training program yesterday, Dr Waqainabete said the training was to ensure nurses were taught the key skill and knowledge needed to safely handle and administer the pediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines across Fiji.
“The training is to ensure our divisional and subdivisional nursing managers are trained on the core knowledge and also the foundation of our extended program with the immunisation and the COVID-19 vaccination program,” Dr Waqainabete said.
“In supporting Fiji’s operational readiness, New Zealand’s Ministry of Health has sent a technical assistance team of two immunisation program experts and a health official to facilitate the two-day training for our frontline health workers.”
He said the ministry would start deploying 50,000 dozes of pediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from next month.
“For this, we anticipate to launch and begin the deployment of the 50,000 doses of pediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for children aged between five years old and 11 years.
“Through the Duavata partnership with Fiji, New Zealand is donating 50,000 doses of pediatric Pfizer doses for Fiji which we anticipate to receive next week and 50,000 RAT tests.”
Dr Waqainabete also acknowledged the New Zealand Government for its generous contributions toward supporting Fiji during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“We thank the New Zealand Government who has stood by Fiji during the pandemic and provided much support and assistance throughout our COVID-19 response which included the grant contribution of $58m in the budget in December 2021 towards assisting Fiji’s immediate economic impacts of COVID-19.”
A total of 25 medical staff from all four divisions around the country participated in the two-day training workshop. The workshop ended yesterday.
We thank the New Zealand Government who has stood by Fiji during the pandemic ...
– Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete