Vaccination

Samoa has 3 new Covid 19- related deaths, vaccinations continue

The cases include a 36-year-old, a 94-year-old and an 82-year-old.

All three persons were reported to have all developed pneumonia due to Covid-19 and none of them were vaccinated.

The death toll has risen to 23 and a majority of the deceased are the elderly.

In a press conference, the National Emergency Operations Committee said up to Sunday last week, 1,114 new positive cases were recorded with 11,045 positive cases altogether since March 18.

This tally includes positive cases reported from flights.

Focus on Covid-19 vaccination for children in Samoa

The vaccination rate for that age group is 31.5 per cent.

Fiame said 93.9 per cent in that age group have received their first dose.

In her special address to the nation today, she said 91.9 per cent of the population aged 18 and over have received their two doses.

Those aged 12 to 17 who have taken both their doses account for 84.2 per cent.

Fiame said 59,759 booster doses have been completed.

Those aged 18 years and above make up 49.8 per cent.

Long delays at American Samoa Covid testing and vax site

The Health Department reported last night that confirm cases stand at 63.

The federal team, which will number more than 50, will include representatives of FEMA, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Health and Human Services, and other federal partners.

The Health Department's Dr Aifili John Tufa said the request for assistance was made right after the first community case was recorded on Monday.

The team will help with vaccinations, treatment of Covid-cases at the Department of Health clinics, training and help supplement medical staff.

Pasifika communities reach 'key vaccination milestones'

There were a total of 17,899 doses administered yesterday, including 5679 first doses and 12,222 second doses.

To date, 92 percent of eligible people in New Zealand have had their first dose and 85 percent are fully vaccinated.

The ministry said the country's Pacific communities had reached "some key vaccination milestones", with 90 percent having officially received their first dose, and 80 percent fully vaccinated.

Eleven of the 21 DHBs had reached 80 percent first doses for Māori, it said in a statement.

Over 89,000 people fully vaccinated in Samoa

The fully vaccinated rate of the eligible population now stands at 73.7 per cent or 89,818 people.

According to the Ministry of Health, 95.1 per cent of the population has received their first dose.

A total of 22023 people have received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine and three people have taken both jabs.

The Pfizer vaccine is administered to children between the ages of 12 and 17, pregnant and lactating mothers.

The figures were released following the one-day Mass Vaccination Campaign on Friday.

Airlines increasingly unlikely to fly unvaccinated passengers to Australia

Most international airlines who fly into Australia are likely to accept only vaccinated passengers, with larger carriers now considering whether it is logistically and commercially viable to sell tickets to unvaccinated travellers. Some carriers have had their allocation of unvaccinated passengers capped at zero.

New Clues Emerge About Whether Vaccines Can Help Fight Long Covid

Millions of people suffer from symptoms of long Covid, doctors estimate. Now, early research is offering some clues about whether vaccinations might help.

Pasifika church members urge others to get Covid-19 vaccine

The Assembly of God Church of Samoa is the focus of the country's largest sub-cluster of the Delta outbreak.

The country's latest victim of Covid-19 was a deacon at the Assemblies of God Church of Sāmoa.

The 50-year-old man died at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital this week after 40 days in intensive care.

His wife is also battling the virus in hospital.

Dr Maryann Heather at South Seas Healthcare in Ōtara said it's been devastating to see the impacts on the families first hand.

Australia's Qantas says all staff must be vaccinated

Frontline workers including pilots, cabin crew and airport staff must be fully vaccinated by mid-November.

The company says its remaining employees have until the end of March next year to receive both doses.

It comes as the state of New South Wales reported its biggest daily rise in coronavirus infections.

The Australian flag carrier is the country's biggest, most high-profile company to introduce a mandatory vaccination policy.

Jennifer Aniston defends cutting ties with unvaccinated friends

The Friends and The Morning Show star said in an InStyle magazine interview published this week that there was still a "large group of people who are anti-vaxxers or just don't listen to the facts".

She added that she had, unfortunately, "lost a few people" from her weekly routine who would not disclose if they had been vaccinated.