Country to receive vaccine next month

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA and LULU MARK
THE country can expect the first supply of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine next month, says Minister James Marape.
He said yesterday that frontline workers would be the first to be vaccinated.
The vaccine was recommended by the PNG Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee, developed through the Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access (Covax) facility and approved by the World Health Organisation.
“A large number of health workers have been affected by the Covid-19, therefore, they will be given priority,” he said.
“We are now in the process of getting the vaccine across, hopefully by April.”
Prof Glen Mola, the head of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of PNG School of Medicine and Health Science, warned this week that urban health services would collapse from the spike in cases and urged the Government to immediately get 684,000 doses of vaccine.
Health Secretary Dr Osborne Liko said PNG would receive 588,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine before the end of June as its first allocation.
The vaccine will arrive in two shipments.
The first shipment of 288,000 doses is expected between March and April.
The second shipment of 300,000 doses will arrive between May and June.
These vaccines will be used on health workers and essential workers that constitute around 3 per cent of the population.
“The tentative date of vaccination will be the end of April or beginning of May,” he said.
After the frontline health workers, the most vulnerable including those with co-morbidities and older persons will be vaccinated in the second half of the year, Dr Liko said.
“It must be emphasised that even with the vaccine, we must maintain and strengthen public health measures such as face masking, physical distancing, frequent hand washing, respiratory and cough hygiene, avoiding crowds and ensuring good ventilation.”