The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) will be making a submission to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization [GAVI] for a COVID-19 vaccine.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare briefly mentioned this in his weekly statement.

He says the government is working hard to ensure that its people will have access to this important vaccine to protect its people against the COVID-19 virus.

“The Ministry of Health and Medical Services will be submitting the COVAX application to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization [GAVI] on 5 December 2020”, Sogavare says.

COVAX, formally known as The COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, is a global collaboration for speeding up the development, manufacture and equitable distribution of new vaccines.

COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Gavi, a public-private partnership, vaccinates children against deadly diseases around the world; CEPI helps develop vaccines and the WHO works with 194 member states to promote global health.

In the Pacific, Australia said it will support the Gavi COVAX Facility Advance Market Commitment (COVAX AMC) to improve access for Pacific and Southeast Asian countries to safe, effective and affordable COVID-19 vaccines.

In August this year, the government of Australia says a contribution of $80 million will help secure COVID-19 vaccines for Pacific Island and Southeast Asian countries.

“The AMC will address the acute phase of the pandemic, providing doses for up to 20 percent of countries’ populations in its first phase, ensuring that health care workers and vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, have access” a statement from the Australian government said.

“Access to vaccines will play a critical role in the economic recovery of our region from this pandemic”, the Australian government said.

Solomon Islands currently records eight positive cases. Initially there were 17 confirmed cases.

Following recent COVID-19 tests, nine of those diagnosed are now negative. The next tests for all the previously positive cases are being done this week.