BY ALEX DADAMU
THE Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) DR. Franco Rodie, has made an appeal to Teachers in Honiara to visit any vaccination center to get vaccinated against Coronavirus.
Dr. Rodie’s call comes after data revealed by Health authorities revealed that only 5% out of the targeted population that the government what to reach with regards to COVID-19 vaccination have received first and second doses of AstraZaneca and Sinopharm vaccines.
Dr. Rodie appealed yesterday at a talk-back show livestreamed via facebook stating that Honiara-based Teachers must get vaccinated inorder to protect themselves and also the children that they teach in their respective schools in and around Honiara City.
Special Secretary to Prime Minister, Dr Jimmy Rodgers speaking from Fiji via Zoom during the talk back show yesterday said the country don’t have the capacity to manage the Covid-19 Delta variant if it reaches the country.
“The only way for the country to lessen its impacts in terms of death casualties, health and economic collapse is for everyone above the age 18 to get vaccinated.
“Do not wait until there is an outbreak. Do it now. Visit the vaccination centres right now or go to the vaccination centres when our vaccination teams come to your areas,” Dr. Rodgers appealed to the general public who are yet to receive vaccinations.
Meanwhile, Special Secretary to the Prime Minister, Alfred Kabui responding to questions regarding the country’s health facilities if Delta variant is being imported into the country said with the vaccination coverage rate of 5%, the country will simply cannot handle the situation.
“To be frank, if we hand community transmission of the Delta variant in the country, we can’t handle it.
“We would be in a much more better possition to address and deal with the situation if the vaccination coverage rate is high,” Mr. Kabui said.
Base on datas provided by Dr. Nemia Bainivalu during the talk back show, 40,404 individuals have received doses of both AstraZaneca and Sinopharm vaccines. Out if this total, around 18,000 are yet to receive their second and last dose, and only 10,000 have completed vaccination against COVID-19.
