NZ donates 216,000 J&J doses to dept

The National National
From left: Unicef representative Dr Claudes Kamenga, New Zealand deputy high commissioner Nathan Ross handing over the Covid-19 vaccine doses to the Health deputy secretary Ken Wai and executive director of Ministerial Task Force on Covid-19 at the National Control Centre Api Kassman yesterday. – Nationalpic by KENNEDY BANI

A TOTAL of 216,000 doses of the Johnson&Johnson Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine and 2,000 vaccine carriers were donated by the New Zealand government to the Health Department to support the response to the pandemic.
Deputy high commissioner Nathan Ross said at the hand-over ceremony yesterday that being vaccinated was the best way to protect oneself from the virus.
United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) PNG Dr Claudes Kamenga said Unicef had facilitated the procurement of these vaccines and vaccine carriers.
Dr Kamenga said the New Zealand government had assisted PNG in so many ways and the latest donation marked their commitment to protect Papua New Guineans from the virus.
“The 216,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses will be used for immunisation services while the 2,000 vaccine carriers will help health workers in conducting their outreach and mobile vaccinations in the 22 provinces,” Dr Kamenga said.
Health deputy secretary Ken Wai acknowledged the support the health sector had received from New Zealand over the years.
Wai said it was costly for the country to purchase routine vaccination doses for the people and such assistance from the New Zealand government provided them the much needed support.
“There are challenges that the country faces in purchasing doses and with the Covid-19 arising it is worrying,” he said.