Last Updated on 3 years by Publishing Team

More than 85 percent Fijians across the country have been successfully vaccinated against COVID-19.

High rates of COVID-19 vaccination in the country has brought hopes and joy for many Fijians with their lives slowly returning to some sense of normalcy. The ease of containment zones, lockdowns and COVIDSafe measures have reunited families and loved ones. As businesses have resumed, many Fijians have returned to work.

The Turaga Ni Koro of the Vatutu Village in Nawaka Nadi, Ratu Solomoni Valamalua, believes that this has been made possible through the tireless efforts, hard work and dedication of the health care and frontline workers.

“Throughout this pandemic, the frontliners have made a lot of sacrifices: staying away from home, family members and children while working long hours without breaks, controlling the outbreak, helping people recover from COVID-19 and vaccinating Fijians so that they can be protected,” Mr Valamalua said.

“From being able to see our families, move about, have holidays again, to going back to work and resume school, this is a great achievement. Our frontliners have helped us in many ways and we must recognise and appreciate them,” he added.

Mr Valamalua confirmed that almost everyone in his village had been vaccinated.

“We have a few in our village who are yet to be vaccinated but they are very eager to get their jabs. These are mainly those who had gone out of the village to work in their farms which is quite far from their homes,” Mr Valamalua said.

“Getting our loved ones vaccinated is the best option available to us because we want to prevent deaths, we want our people to stay with us and live long and happy. We have to think about our future and move forward knowing that COVID-19 is here and how we are going to keep ourselves safe from it”

Mr Valamalua was part of the first face-to-face information session on COVID-19 hosted by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in Nadi last week.