COVID-19 threat to our health and lives is indiscriminate, every single person more especially those unvaccinated are at risk of getting very sick, admitted to the hospital and die from COVID-19.

As seen in many other countries including our neighbours Fiji and Papua New Guinea, the devastation of COVID-19 spans far and wide affecting almost all socio and economic sectors of the country.

Therefore, it is only fitting that collective efforts to fight against COVID-19 by every single member of the society and across all sectors.

Last week, the Ministry of Health is pleased to roll out COVID-19 awareness to staff of each departments of the country’s electricity power provider, Solomon Power. This includes corporate division, finance and customer services, regulatory and metering team, transmission, distribution, and generation.

A wonderful opportunity indeed that saw many whom have already taken their vaccines doses attending the sessions to increase their knowledge about the vaccines to spread the message to their families and friends.

Few who are yet to get their jabs had the opportunity to ask questions to Ministry of Health’s health promotion officers and doctor accompanying the team to ensure that all concerns, doubts, fears and anxiety properly addressed.

Director Health Promotion Adrian Leamana said that health promotion unit engaged to manage risk communication related to the current COVID-19 vaccine roll out is encouraged to see requests from various organizations and institutions for COVID-19 vaccine awareness.

“ It was a pleasure indeed for our team to have conducted the session with Solomon Power last week and more importantly that even those who already had their jabs also attended to acquire more information about the vaccines to share with their families and friends.

“There is significant level of limitations that our teams are facing in pushing these messages right down to the majority of our population at homes and in our most rural and remote communities. Therefore, using family and friends network can be effective and efficient in ensuring these messages trickle down to where it should reach”, said Mr. Leamana.

The awareness session covered development and approval of the vaccines, safety and efficacy, its benefits and consequences of not getting vaccinated. Dian Row of Health Promotion facilitated the sessions with Dr Sarah Habu providing support with question and answer sessions.

Health promotion of the Ministry of Health will attend to requests for awareness and appeals to individuals and organizations to come forward and discuss with the team at MHMS Health Promotion Department should there be any fears, anxieties around the vaccines. It is also important to note that many organizations and companies provide essential services that must continue despite community transmission and lockdown situations so ensure all your workmen and women get their jabs.

The Ministry of Health would like to thank the Management and staff of Solomon Power for the invitation to hold the awareness and urge all those staff who are yet to get vaccinated to come forward and get their doses now.

Waiting for community transmission before rushing to get vaccinated will already be too late, it has to be done and done right now. One can only see just beyond our borders to our neighbours on the devastation that the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted on people’s health and lives, let alone all other socio-economic aspects of the country.

 Source: Press Release