Covid-19 vaccination

The Ministry of Health confirmed that a total of 108,947 people have been fully vaccinated with the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

The figure represents 89.4 per cent of the eligible population.

Out of that number, a total of 55,680 are males with 53,267 females.

The number of people who have received their first dose of the vaccine currently stands at 118,708 which represents 97.4 per cent of the eligible population. Out of that total 61,011 are males while 57,697 are females.

Speaking exclusively to the BBC, he said missing competitions, such as the French Open, over his jab status was "the price that I'm willing to pay".

The 20-time Grand Slam winner was deported from Australia last month after the government cancelled his visa in a row over his vaccine status.

Djokovic described the conditions while he was detained as "very hard".

He said he had not spoken out in the media at the time - despite wanting to - as he wanted to respect the legal process and the Australian Open.

“American Samoa has done this too and we see that there are complications if and when this is practiced but we’ll propose to the Cabinet again. However, since we’ve been carrying out this process from the start without rewarding a $50, would be better to use that $50 Tala somewhere else that’s more important for us,” NEOC Chairman, Agafili Shem Leo said during a press conference on Tuesday.

86 percent of the eligible population have received their second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

96 percent have received their first dose.

The Chairman of the National Emergency Operations Committee, Agafili Shem Leo told a news conference a $50tālā measure is being discussed and funding has to be sourced before it can happen.

He added that all public servants will next month be required to show their vaccination cards as proof they are fully vaccinated.

He said the number of fully vaccinated people with the AstraZeneca vaccine remains at 86 percent and it is taking a long time to get the last 10 percent to reach the targeted 96 percent.

The Samoa Observer reports that only 86 percent of the eligible population have been fully vaccinated which is short of the targeted 90 percent.

The data released by the Ministry of Health indicates that 12,000 people have yet to receive their second dose of the vaccine.

Meanwhile the vaccination campaign with the Pfizer vaccine targeting children 12-17 years old continues, with 6,817 of the eligible population which includes pregnant and breastfeeding mothers still to be fully vaccinated.

The Ministry of Health confirmed 96 per cent or 117,020 of the eligible population got their first shot of the vaccine just before the Christmas holiday kicked in. 

“A total of 86 per cent or 104,827 have received both doses of the vaccine, which is well short of the Government's target to get more than 90 per cent of the eligible population fully immunised.”

The ministry’s data on the Pfizer vaccine shows a total of 6,817 members of the eligible population are yet to be fully vaccinated. 

For evidence, look no further than the shenanigans surrounding Novak Djokovic and his attempted participation in the Australian Open tennis championships.

Instead of challenging for a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title in Melbourne, Serbia's biggest sporting star found himself in the slammer, after immigration officials found fault with his paperwork.

His country's president, Aleksandar Vucic, led the chorus of outrage in Belgrade, following a phone call with the incarcerated ace.

The player arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday where authorities noticed a mistake on his application.

Djokovic was due to play in the Australian Open, after being exempted from vaccination rules.

He will be flown out of the country later on Thursday but his lawyers will challenge the decision, Australian media report.

Photo file  Caption: :World number one tennis player Novak Djokovic     

The directive was announced by New Zealand Rugby today.

Under the Government and Sport New Zealand's Covid-19 Protection Framework, gatherings in the Red traffic light setting which do not use Covid-19 Vaccination Certificates are limited to 25 people.

In the Red setting, 15-a-side rugby competitions would be unable to proceed without the use of Covid vaccination certificates due to the restriction on numbers.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said yesterday he expected advice from Medsafe in a couple of weeks and the rollout should start in late January.

But some are urging officials to move faster as a number of schools shut down for days because of infected students or staff.

Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said while there were no plans at this stage to bring the timeframe forward, it was still under advice.