Covid vaccines

The country already has 50,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine but had been waiting on the WHO's emergency approval, which was given last week.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said he was “extremely happy” with the WHO's decision.

“With this approval the National Drugs, Medicines and Therapeutics Committee will now consider the approval of the Sinopharm vaccine,” he said.

Sogavare said he would announce details of the vaccine rollout next week.

He made the comment in an update on coronavirus Wednesday.

President Aingimea said Nauru remains Covid-free one year since the government declared a State of Disaster for the management and minimisation of the impact of coronavirus.

However, 11 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) have recorded coronavirus cases.

They are the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, PNG, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna.

The joint commitment was made following the first leaders' meeting of the so-called Quad - a group formed in 2007.

The vaccines - expected to be the single-dose Johnson & Johnson product - are set to be manufactured in India.

The US said the "massive joint commitment" would initially focus on delivering doses to South East Asia.

Addressing the virtual meeting, UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the goal of providing vaccines to all as “the biggest moral test before the global community”, underlining that everyone, everywhere must be included.  

“Defeating COVID19, now that we have begun to have the scientific capacity to do so, is more important than ever”, he said.