Around 35,000 to 40,000 children aged 12 to 17 are eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Samoa.
Health authorities have confirmed that this eligible age group will be the Ministry of Health’s next focus.
Deputy-Director General of Public Health, Tagaloa Dr. Robert Thomsen said, “All the vaccines that the Ministry currently has in its possession will expire by November 30, “and we should be able to use up all these vaccines before that.”
“And even if we have vaccinated everyone in the country there will be a surplus of vaccines,” he said during a Samoa Maloloina programme.”
“This is why we have closed the administration of the first dose as of September 24 because by November 30 we would have reached eight weeks for the second dose.”
“Another reason why we have chosen the 24 September for the last day of the first dose is because our vaccination teams need a rest.”
The vaccines earmarked for children are expected to arrive with either late October or early November.
The Health Ministry’s figures show 114,698 eligible Samoans have received the first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the two-day vaccination.
The mass campaign was held on Thursday and Friday last week.