Japan pledges 56,000 AstraZeneca vaccines for Fiji

56,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured in Japan will be delivered to Fiji later this month through the donation of the Japanese Government.

Japanese Ambassador Kawakami Fumihiro says urgent arrangements are being made with the COVAX Facility to deliver these doses between mid of July to the end of August.

He says Japan has announced that it will contribute an additional US$800 million to COVAX, on top of the US $200 million already contributed and it will supply vaccines manufactured in Japan to countries and the region.

The Ambassador says they value the longstanding friendship between the two countries and is confident that the successful vaccination of the people will not only help Fijians stay safe from COVID-19 but also build a pathway to re-emergence of livelihoods, increase employment and broader economic recovery of Fiji.

Fumihiro says he is sure that Fiji will overcome this second wave of COVID-19 and the Japanese government reaffirms its commitment to stand with Fiji in achieving this.