Australia Delivers Additional 50-thousand Doses of AstraZeneca to SI

Australia is delivering on its pledge to provide Solomon Islands with up to one  million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. 

50,000 additional AstraZeneca doses arrived in Honiara on Friday, 17 December 2021.

Ministry of Health and Customs officials unloading the AstraZeneca vaccines

 With this latest delivery, the total number of vaccines provided by Australia now exceeds a quarter of a million.

A statement from the Australian High Commission in Honiara said this is the fifth shipment of Australian-made AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to arrive in Solomon Islands. 

It said this is to ensure the Ministry of Health and Medical Services has the supply it needs as it continues the national vaccine roll-out, despite the recent civil unrest.

Australian High Commission official watches vaccines being unloaded from Solomon Airlines flight

Highlighting the longstanding health partnership between the two countries, Acting Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Ms Sally-Anne Vincent said Australia is committed to working with the Solomon Islands Government to achieve its vaccination roll-out targets and to strengthen its COVID-19 preparedness and resilience.

“We will continue to provide Solomon Islands with a steady, reliable, and safe supply of vaccines to help protect the community over the festive season and into the future,” Ms Vincent said.

 She said Australia stands with the Pacific Family and is committed to working with Solomon Islands to fight COVID-19. 

“In the COVID-19 context, we have not only worked with the MHMS to provide vaccines but our close partnership has meant we were able to develop strict protocols and testing regimes to support the arrival of Australian personnel with the Solomon International Assistance Force,” Ms Vincent added.

 Australian forces are working closely in support of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, alongside our Pacific Family – Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New Zealand. 

Australia’s longstanding development partnership programs, including in areas such as health, education, infrastructure and governance, are pivoting to support Solomon Islands recovery at this time.

 

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