NCD vaccinations progressing well: Officials

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Graphics: The Covid-19 figures around Papua New Guinea. – Nationalpic by JOEL HAMARI

THE Covid-19 vaccination programme in the National Capital District (NCD) is progressing well as more people in the essential workforce category are coming forward for the jabs, officials say.
NCD Health Authority chief executive officer Ken Wai said according to NCD Covid-19 provincial coordinator Dr Steven Yennie, 1,481 people had been vaccinated.
The AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination for NCD is conducted at the Rita Flynn Court where the vaccination began last Wednesday.
Wai said on Saturday that 297 people received their first dose of the vaccine which included 15 staff from Curtain Bros Ltd, 25 from CHM Group and 257 from smaller companies and walk-ins.
He said 4,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine was allocated to the NCD health authority from the 132,000 doses that came from the Covax-Facility at the Serum institute of India last month.
Wai said 2,519 doses remained and frontline essential workers were advised to come for the vaccination.
Dr Yennie said the population in NCD was big so proposals were made to the National Control Centre (NCC) for more doses of the vaccine.
“Getting the vaccine is voluntary and many of the frontline health workers are hesitant to get it but other essential workers in the business sector can come forward,” he said.
“The vaccination station at Rita Flynn will be open from Monday to Saturday from 9am to 4pm and closes on Sunday.”
Meanwhile, according to the NCC on Friday, around 12,000 people were vaccinated already of which more than 2,500 were health workers.