The Nikolatan Council of Chiefs and Tafea Council of Churches have thrown their support behind the COVID-9 vaccination programme.
Chief Jimmy William Iewis, President of the West Tanna Council of Chiefs said, “COVID-19 is coming to our country and it is important that everyone receives the vaccine. We support the rollout of the vaccine on Tanna Island.
“In a meeting we had, we agreed that we would support the health team to make sure that the right information reaches our communities and that the vaccine reaches our population. The future is in the hands of the children. It is important that we protect them.”
Pastor Deman Steven, Chairman of the Tafea Council of Churches said, “The Tafea Council of Churches supports the vaccine rollout on Tafea. It is important that we protect our people from the COVID-19. We have our faith and we pray, however it is important that we put this into action. Every church must appeal to their congregation to go and get the vaccine to protect from COVID-19 when the rollout starts in Tafea Province.”
Merian Numake, owner-proprietor of Tanna Evergreen Resort and Tours on Tanna island said, “Vaccination is not mandatory but it is important that we have a longer-term focus. There are lots of things now where you need to get fully vaccinated to do, like travelling overseas for unskilled labour. Vanuatu cannot remain closed to the world forever. It’s important to communicate with people to make sure that they are getting the right information about the vaccine otherwise they get information from all kinds of sources. It’s important that people receive the right information.”
The comments were made during awareness campaigns organised by the Tafea Provincial Health (TPH) team in partnership with provincial stakeholders and communities.
The vaccination programme for Tafea is scheduled to begin on 29 September.
More than 22,000 people in the province are eligible to receive the vaccine.
The rollout will target the prioritised population including healthcare workers and other frontline workers like immigration officers and public transport drivers.
Other priority groups in the first phase are elderly people aged 55 and above and people with existing medical conditions aged 35 years and over.
TPH confirmed that Risk Communication and Community Engagement activities have been ramped up in the province ahead of the launch of the vaccination rollout on 29 September.
“Engagement with key stakeholders at the provincial level including chiefs, churches, women, the business sector, provincial government council, government agencies including frontline officers, and non-government organisation partners was initiated on 15 September and participated by over 200 people”.
Photo supplied Caption: A Tafea health worker at the COVID-19 vaccine awareness session at Lenakel Market House