The Solomon Islands prime minister is calling on anyone who is resisting getting vaccinated to get the jab.
In a statement Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said they should do it to protect themselves and their children from Covid-19.
Solomon Islands prime minister Manasseh Sogavare. Photo: SIG news service
Sogavare said the country should take action early rather than wait to do so when Covid-19 is already circulating in the community.
"We must vaccinate now before we have community transmission to protect ourselves, our children, our families, and our country because that is the best way to control community transmission," he said.
Sogavare said the Delta variant affects children as well as adults and it is sad to see young children dying from Covid-19 in many countries because their parents did not themselves or their children vaccinated
Photo: Suuplied/ Solomon Islands Ministry of Health
Manasseh Sogavare said those who still have doubts about Covid-19 vaccines, their effectiveness against Covid-19, or their safety, should be assured the vaccines used in Solomon Islands are safe and effective.
"The vaccines have been approved by WHO for emergency use to ensure that during this pandemic we can be protected from Covid-19," he said.
Sogavare said, so far, the country has administered almost 74,000 doses of the AstraZeneca and Sinopham vaccines and has not registered a major vaccine-related catastrophe.
"Protecting our people from our common enemy, Covid-19, is best achieved when we all work together to achieve our collective goal of keeping Solomon Islands safe from Covid-19," the prime minister said.