Third batch of vaccine arriving from Australia today

The next batch of 20,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for Vanuatu is expected to arrive from Australia today (Wednesday).

This marks the third batch of COVID-19 vaccine to arrive in Vanuatu and the second to have been provided by development partners.

Vanuatu received its first batch of 24,000 AstraZeneca doses from the COVAX Facility and its second batch of 20,000 Sinopharm doses from China last month

The Japanese Ambassador to Vanuatu, Chiba Hirohisa, had announced the intention of the Japanese Government to provide 48,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Vanuatu later this year.

Manufactured in Japan, the vaccines will be provided through COVAX Facility.

The Prime Minister (PM), Bob Loughman, is expected to receive the third batch of vaccines from Australia on behalf of the government at the VIP Lounge of the Port Vila Bauerfield International Airport today.

These vaccines are manufactured in Australia.

With the arrival of these AstraZeneca vaccines today, the total number of vaccine doses in the country would now be 64,000.

With the availability of the two vaccines, people can choose which one they prefer to get vaccinated with against coronavirus.

AstraZeneca is being administered on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Sinopharm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Convention Centre in Port Vila.

Vaccination for rural Efate is still underway.

First phase of the national vaccination program aims to cover the first 20% population initially targeting health workers, frontline worker, the elderly (55 and above) and people over 35 with existing medical conditions.

The total number of doses administered to key priority groups and other groups is estimated at almost 30,000 so far.

The Ministry of Health plans to rollout vaccine to Santo after Efate.