MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES PEDIATRIC PFIZER LAUNCH
July 6, 2022 NEHRU MEMORIAL PRIMARY SCHOOL
The New Zealand Minister for Pacific Peoples and Minister for
Courts, Honourable Aupito William Sio;
The Minister for Local Government, Education, Heritage and
Arts, Honourable Premila Devi Kumar;
The Minister for Health and Medical Services, Honourable Dr.
Ifereimi Waqainabete;
Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health and Medical
Services, Dr. James Fong;
Parents, Guardians
and Students;
Members of the Media;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Miau sa bula re and Good Afternoon to you all. It is my great pleasure to officiate as Chief Guest at this historic event, the Pediatric Pfizer Launch!
At this juncture, allow me, to convey a big VINAKA VAKALEVU to the New Zealand Government for the deployment of the first 50,000 doses of pediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5-11 years. We appreciate and are grateful for the support that allows us access to safe and effective vaccines for our children. The hardships and challenges that this global pandemic caused were countless. The most painful among them was the loss of loved ones, on top of not being able to see or meet loved ones due to restrictions and lockdowns.
Ladies
and gentlemen, we are in a much better place today as a global society, but we
can’t pretend this crisis is over or that we can afford to wane in our
collective response. Vaccines are what delivered us from the difficulty of the
pandemic period and vaccines are what will continue to keep the worst of the
virus at bay.
Ladies
and gentlemen, when the vaccines first began to circulate around the world,
Fiji was the first country in the Pacific to fully embrace the Vaccination
campaign. The arrival of the first vaccines gave us a window of hope of
returning to normal, should the nation be vaccinated. Thankfully, due to
medical science, we have been able to quickly restore our lives in the face of
adversity and the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and we have
become stronger as a nation from working together as a nation.
The
COVID-19 vaccines gave us hope and made us stronger as a family unit, community
and nation giving us the confidence to move forward and return to some form of
normalcy. For a small island nation, the Fijian Government through the Ministry
of Health & Medical Services have received praise and many accolades from
visiting diplomats and dignitaries on Fiji’s COVID-19 success and how we have
opened up our borders and returned to normalcy ahead of many other nations.
Since
Fiji began the COVID-19 vaccination programme, virtually all of the adults in
Fiji have received at least their first dose while 95% have received their
second dose. A total of over 38,000 children between the ages of 15-17 years
have received their first dose while over 32,000 have received second doses.
Children between the ages of 12-14 years, a total of over 25,000 have received
the first dose and over 15,000 have received second doses.
Ladies
and gentlemen, I am proud and greatly honoured to announce that following the
successful vaccination programme for our adults and children aged 12 years and
above, Fiji has embarked on another rewarding mission to vaccinate and protect
children aged 5-11 years old against COVID-19.
To
our parents and guardians, we have witnessed the Ministry of Health and Medical
Service’s unrelenting vaccination campaign that has led to the safe reopening
of borders and ultimately advanced Fiji’s collaboration with development
partners for a resilient and inclusive economic recovery. The vaccination of
our adult population in addition to being the key to our economic recovery, has
a more personal purpose in keeping our citizens safe.
Ladies
and gentlemen, as a grandfather I too wish to ensure that my grandchildren
receive all they need to ensure that they receive the best protection against
COVID-19. That is the reason we are gathered here today, as our children too
have the right to be safe from COVID-19. Our children are likely to suffer from
severe COVID-19 if they become infected. There are Fijian parents who have lost
their children to COVID-19 and my thoughts and prayers go out to their memory
and their families.
WE NOW HAVE THE VACCINE! The COVID-19 vaccines that our children have needed is finally available to us. As parents and guardians, it is natural to have concerns regarding the vaccine. It is our responsibility to be concerned with our children’s welfare. Be rest assured that these vaccines have undergone rigorous clinical trials to ensure their safety and effectiveness. They are not mandatory, but highly encouraged.
To address a frequently asked question, Yes, our
children will experience some side effects, as it is normal with routine
immunisation because vaccines work with our body's natural defences. Vaccines
produce antibodies that attack the virus after the vaccine has been
administered.
As parents and guardians whenever we take our children for routine immunisation we are advised of the side effects where our children have experienced mild increases in temperatures or felt body aches and the key here was knowing how to manage these at home. It is quite similar in the case of the COVID-19 vaccines. Let us together choose to protect our children because the benefit of protection far outweighs the minimal risks. At the same time, allow me to remind you that our medical teams have undergone comprehensive training with support from Government to ensure that the vaccines would be deployed in the safest and efficient manner to our children.
We must understand the importance of the vaccine
because at this rate, we can be rest assured that neither Fiji nor the world
will see the end to this virus any time soon. This virus is mutating and
quickly spreading and we are facing new variants. Our best defense today is the
same as it was the day the first doses arrived to our shores – we must
vaccinate all those who are eligible and work together to blunt the reach of
the virus, particularly on those most vulnerable.
May
the Almighty bless our children and Fiji abundantly with good health!
Vinaka Vakalevu!!