Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has directed all frontline workers to complete vaccination by Wednesday 31st March.
This directive was issued following the disappointing turn out of frontline workers to get the vaccine since the programme was rolled out on Wednesday 24th March.
Only around six hundred people have been vaccinated in Honiara so far since the commencement of the vaccination programme.
The list includes frontline and support health personnel at the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, the Honiara City Council and Guadalcanal Province, frontline and support members of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force and Correctional Services and all frontline and support members of Immigration, Customs, Biosecurity, Civil Aviation, Fisheries and other frontline ministries and departments.
Sogavare further directed the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service to issue an Urgent Circular on Monday 29 March directing all public servants to take their vaccinations in accordance with the vaccination schedules that will be advised by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, commencing with all frontline ministries and agencies.
The Circular makes it clear that refusal by any public servant; especially frontline workers to vaccinate [without a medical reason] will be insubordination.
“I am extremely disappointed that many public servants working in our frontline ministries and agencies have not turned up to be vaccinated against COVID-19,” Sogavare said.
Sogavare added that the Government is working extremely hard to ensure we protect not only ourselves from COVID-19 but also protect those around us, especially people under 18 years of age that cannot be vaccinated, and those living with existing diseases.
“We will not be able to protect this country from COVID-19 if most of our population that should be vaccinated are not vaccinated”.
“I am extremely disappointed that the most of our front-liners in the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, the National Referral Hospital, Honiara City Council Health, and our frontline health personnel from Guadalcanal province who have been identified top priority for vaccination had not turned up for vaccinations,” he said.
Only those that have existing medical conditions are excluded from the vaccination process.
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