108,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to be dispatched to SI in first quarter of 2021

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has announced today that 108,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine will be dispatched to Solomon Islands in the first quarter of this year.

Speaking during his fortnightly Update on COVID-19, he said despite missing out on the Pfizer Vaccines for 0.25% of our population, “I am pleased to inform you all that the COVAX Facility has confirmed the allocation of an indicative number of 108,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Solomon Islands.”

This will be acquired via the COVAX Facility.

Sogavare said the Oversight Committee together with the COVAX Coordinating Committee and the Technical Working Group on Vaccines hope to present “our National COVID-19 Vaccination Policy and Implementation Plan to the Caucus and Cabinet next week for our consideration.”

On the allocation of an indicative number of 108,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Solomon Islands, Sogavare said: “We hope to receive 40% of the doses during the 1^st quarter of 2021, and the remaining 60% during the second quarter of 2021.”

He says that preparations are well underway for the for the roll-out of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the country.

The prime minister said the Ministry of Health has activated technical teams comprising of the country’s very own health experts supported by partners to coordinate and contribute to different aspects of the COVID-19 vaccination planning and delivery process.

The government is also liaising with partners to secure additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines.