The Ministry of Health (M.O.H.) will resume the vaccination of children aged 5–11 with the Pfizer vaccine starting Monday this week. 

The Ministry announced last week that they were ceasing the roll out of vaccinations for the children until further notice. However, health authorities have announced that the COVID-19 vaccination rollout will resume on Monday 11 April to Wednesday 13 April.

The target groups include children aged 5-11 to receive their first or second dose. 

It will also include those 12-17 years for their first and second dose, plus those aged 18 and above who are eligible to get their booster shots with minimum of three months, since completing their first two doses.  

The public is advised to wear a mask and bring their vaccination cards on the day of the vaccination. Parents must ensure the children have breakfast and are well hydrated and provide a copy of their birth certificate or passport to confirm their vaccination records.

The M.O.H. has also encouraged the public to go to the nearest vaccination site (in community schools) which are located within their respective communities to get vaccinated. This is encouraged to avoid overcrowding and to reduce the risk of further infection at any particular site.

The latest vaccination update by the Ministry was issued last Friday. The data shows 97.6 per cent of Samoa’s eligible population have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines while 71.9 per cent have received their second dose. 

The Ministry also confirmed that 48,475 people aged 18 years and over have received their booster shot.

Vaccination teams within the Health Ministry have been able to administer 371,252 vaccinations since the start of the campaign in April last year. A total of 99.5 per cent of people 18 years and over have received their first doze of COVID-19 vaccination.

But only 91.3 per cent of the same age group have received their second doze, yet the target population is 121,891 people. 

Out of 280,944 doses administered, a total of 121,229 people aged 18 and over have received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine with 111,240 having received the second dose.

The M.O.H. also revealed that a total of 27,178 people aged 12–17 have received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine which accounts for 97.5 per cent of the targeted group. 

However, only 23,003 or 82.5 per cent of the same age group have received their second dose with no records of anyone getting a third dose or booster shot. The target population for those aged 12–17 is 27,880. 

For children aged 5–11, a total of 37,394 received their first dose of the Paediatric Pfizer vaccine which is approximately 92 per cent of the eligible population. Whereas 2,733 of this age group have received second dose of the vaccine but the number of the target population is 40,638.

There are no records of children aged 5-11 receiving a third dose or booster shots.