Children from three to ten years have been identified to have never been vaccinated because of their remote locations.
This was confirmed by Samoa’s Immigration Chief Executive Officer Agafili Tomaimano Shem Leo during the mass vaccination drive that is currently underway in Samoa.
Leo and his team from the Ministry of Prime Minister and Cabinet (MPMC) went out to the isolated families providing transport for Tufulele residents to the Catholic Church hall for their vaccination injections.
“In some cases, none of the children from 3 years to 10 years have never been vaccinated because of their remote location,” said the CEO. “Many did not have any transport means,” Leo said.
Team MPMC is expected to visit areas such as Nono’a, Salapoua’e, Patisoa, Lotoso’a and Fatitu with the ultimate mission to transport as many residents as possible to the Fixed Sites for vaccination.
“I am proud of our team,” he said. “It was a team effort. But there is more to done and with our Father Almighty’s blessings our staff will return tomorrow.”
One hundred teams were scattered all over Upolu for the first day of vaccination.
And the target for today for all teams is to administer 10,000 doses.
Latest data from the Ministry of Health indicates that as of Wednesday this week, (4th December 2019) 71% of 143,255 of Samoa’s population of 200,878 are vaccinated as the Drive continues tomorrow.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi is however not settling for the immunization coverage to be less than 90% and is reiterating his appeal to the country to heed the Government’s message of life and death by coming forward for vaccination.