The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) has become one of the first nations to adopt mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations.
Everyone in the western Pacific country over the age of 18 will be required to be vaccinated.
President David Panuelo saidit’s a necessary step to achieve heard immunity.
“We have 58-thousand of our population who are eligible and these are individuals that are subject to getting that vaccine, and congress has just made that compulsory,” he said.
“We are so fortunate that we are still one of COVID-19 free countries in the world.””
Panuelo told Pacific Beat the government hopes to have more than 70 per cent of population vaccinated by Christmas, but some people will not be required to get the jab.
“People who have vulnerable health conditions, pregnant women and children under 18… are not subject to the mandatory vaccinations.”
“We see that we are going to reach our 70 percent target and we should even to go beyond that.”
“People with vulnerable health conditions, pregnant women and children under 18… are not subject to the mandatory vaccinations.”
“We see that we are going to reach our 70 percent target and we should even to go beyond that.”
“My hope is that we reach heard immunity by Christmas, so we can move from COVID-19 free to COVID-19 protected,” he said.
The FSM President has acknowledged that some people remain vaccine hesitant but that health officials are working to convince them of the benefits.
“Like in very country we have people who are hesitant.”
“Those are the issues we are going to deal with… but we are [campaigning] fairly aggressively so that we can share the importance and benefits of getting vaccinated,” he said.
“Rather than laying back in our hammock thinking we are okay … [we are] getting out and explaining the benefits of getting vaccinated so we can be safe from this deadly virus.”
Meanwhile, FSM and the United States have agreed on a plan to build a military base in the Pacific nation.
The two countries have a long-standing relationship through the treaty known as the Compact of Free Association.
FSM also maintains diplomatic ties with China but President David Panuelo does not believe the plan for the new base will harm that relationship.
“We have that right to delegate some of the defence responsibility to a close ally and in this case with the United States,” he said.
SOURCE: ABC/PACNEWS
