Australia, India donations of COVID vaccines ensure full coverage
REPUBLIC OF NAURU
Government Information Office
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Monday, 12 April, 2021
Australia, India donations of
COVID vaccines ensure full coverage
Nauru has received a total of
17,200 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and will be able to fully
immunise its adult population of 7000.
The Nauru Government extends its
gratitude to the Governments of Australia and India for the
generous support in securing and enabling the delivery of the
vaccines.
The first consignment of 7,200
doses arrived on Thursday 1 April. The Government of Nauru
initially purchased the vaccines however, will now be fully
reimbursed by the Government of Australia as part of its assistance
for Nauru in achieving its COVID-19 prevention measures.
Furthermore, in official
communications today, the Australian High Commission confirms
further funding for vaccine supplies worth $80,000 for Nauru
directly with UNICEF for delivery later in the year. This will
assist Nauru catch up any missed immunisations.
Australia entered into an agreement
with UNICEF to procure approximately 20 million doses of "safe and
effective vaccines for allocation to partner countries in 2021,"
across the Pacific and Nauru.
This arrangement also covers the
costs of the associated injection devices, safe disposal
containers, and freight to ports of entry.
As the largest buyer of vaccines
and procurement agent for the COVAX Facility, UNICEF has an
unparalleled understanding of the global vaccine market, and is
well placed to understand and monitor Nauru's needs.
The High Commission says Australia
will continue to coordinate closely with Nauru and UNICEF to enable
the effective delivery of doses from Australia's supply pipeline as
soon as they become available.
The second consignment of 10,000
doses arrived a week later on Thursday 8 April as a donation from
the Government of India, thus securing 100 per cent coverage of the
adult population including foreigners living in Nauru.
The High Commission of India in
Suva, Fiji says the vaccines are supplied by its Government through
grant assistance as a "special gesture of friendship and solidarity
with the people and Government of Nauru. This is in line with
India's commitment to use India's vaccine production and delivery
capacity to help partner countries in the fight against COVID
pandemic."
"Nauru is an important partner for
India for ensuring an open, inclusive, resilient and prosperous
Indo-Pacific region. India is committed to assist Nauru in its
fight against COVID-19," the statement said.
President Lionel Aingimea says
although Nauru is receiving the vaccines from two different
countries, there is no difference other than the packaging and
labelling.
Both shipments of the vaccine that
Nauru received were designed and created by a team at Oxford
University who entered into an arrangement with AstraZeneca
Pharmaceuticals; who then licenced SK Bio in Korea and the Serum
Institute of India to manufacture the vaccine.
The World Health Organisation, the
COVAX Facility and other expert advice confirms that both vaccines
are exactly the same and are fully interchangeable.