Tsunami village braces for dangerous new wave
Ten years ago the small seaside village of Lalomanu was devastated by a tsunami following a 8.1 magnitude earthquake.
After 10 years of relative peace a new deadly health wave is headed their way in the form of measles with the epicentre just an hour and a half away in Apia.
The locals were alerted on Sunday night that volunteer vaccinators would be arriving in the village yesterday .
The Samoan Government is taking vaccines to the people, going to every village, every fale to ensure mass vaccination in their fight against the deadly measles disease which has claimed 53 lives, with more expected to die over the coming days, More than 40 mobile vaccine vans have been deployed to villages all over the island. The driver of the Lalomanu van Mene Ropati picks up New Zealand nurse Donna Horlock, and newly minted Samoan nurse Faamamafa Faamamafa – they administer the vaccine.
Police officer Mao Kolio who has been in the force for 12 years rounds out the team, he’s in charge of crowd control.
In Lalomanu, grandmother So’o Paueli, owner of So’o Paueli Shop, is behind the counter when the van stops in.
Paueli’s daughter Siana Ponifasio and granddaughter Healani Saufoi, 4 months, are at the shop as well.
After talking to the nurses, Paueli agrees to be vaccinated, her grandaughter is too young, and her daughter is already vaccinated.
Having survived the 2009 tsunami that claimed the life of her sister and seven of her sister’s grandchildren getting vaccinated to protect her granddaughter is a no-brainer.
"My granddaughter is to young to get it, her mother Siana is immunised," Paueli says.
"We survived the tsunami, if all we have to do is get a needle to protect the babies, then why not? It’s easier then dealing with a huge wave."
And its the protection of the younger generation that are too young to get the jab that promps grandparents around the village to get immunised.
At another fale down the road from the shop, 61-year-old Fatefata Taua scrunches his face as the needle pierces his skin.
There are two primary-school aged children at his home, they are vaccinated, and they feel their grandfather’s pain. They shudder on their grandfather’s behalf as the needle hits its mark.
Taua says the people of Lalomanu aren’t too concerned about the measles. A majority of parents have had their children vaccinated, it’s the grandparents that are in danger here.
Next door to Taua lives Rita Romeo, she herds all the bodies at her home that haven’t been vaccinated into a line – the teenaged boys strip off their shirts as one-by-one they are jabbed,
The last in the house to be vaccinated is Fono John, six months, his two toddler siblings have received their shots and he has just reached the right age to get his,
Romeo hoists her grandson onto her lap, holds him down and gives the nurse the nod.
Up and down the coastal village the volunteers penetrate every fale, the fight against the deadly disease will be successful if no one with the disease comes to Lalomanu for two weeks, that’s how long it takes for the vaccine to activate and protect.
Faamamafa says the team came armed with 30 viles to Lalomanu enough to vaccinate up to 300 people.