Fijian health worker receives two covid vaccine shots and supports their safety

Pacific Media Watch newsdesk

After receiving two shots of the covid-19 Pfizer vaccine, former Fijian resident Usaia Masuwale believes the vaccine is safe and says Fijians need to take the shot, reports Jale Daucakacaka in Fiji’s Sunday Times.

Masuwale. who is a health worker in San Francisco, believes Fijians should not be influenced by negative reports circulating on social media.

“I was one of the first ones to take the shot and haven’t felt any side effects at all,” he said.

He said covid-19 was worse than the side-effects of the vaccine and he hoped people would take it once it is available.

Permanent Secretary for Health Dr James Fong said a task force was being set up within the Health Ministry to plan how the covid-19 vaccine would be administered to Fijians.

For more on this story and other stories, grab a copy of today’s Sunday Times from your nearest outlet.

US Pacific Islands move quickly
In Majuro, Marshall Islands Journal editor Giff Johnson reports that three United States-affiliated countries in the north Pacific have launched aggressive covid-19 vaccine programmes, following receipt of thousands of doses from the US Centers for Disease Control.

On a per capita basis, the islands have higher vaccine rates than many states in the US, said the Marshall Islands Health Secretary in Majuro.

In the first 10 days since receiving a small number of doses to start, the Marshall Islands injected first vaccines to over 600 healthcare workers and front line government employees who work in sea and airports.

The US government is providing the Moderna brand covid-19 vaccines to the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Palau.

Reporting from The Fiji Times and RNZ under a community partnership agreement.