COVID-19 is far from over. Worldwide we have surpassed 106 million cases, and tragically, more than 2.3 million people have lost their lives to the disease. These are not just numbers, but people. Each person has a name and a story. And each name is someone’s mother, father, child, brother, sister or grandparent.

One year into this pandemic, we have gained a lot of experience. We know what works to slow or stop the spread of the virus. Frequent hand washing, and physical distancing stops transmission, and saves lives. We also know that targeted social measures such as lockdowns and stay-at-home orders are effective in stopping transmission, especially if there is community support, though they do have significant economic and social impacts. There is no easy way out of this pandemic and unfortunately, it is far from over.

Port Vila, Vanuatu, 19 May 2021 - Today, Vanuatu joins Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Nauru, Tuvalu and Samoa, in the Pacific islands, to receive COVID-19 vaccine doses shipped via the COVAX Facility, a partnership between CEPI, Gavi, UNICEF and WHO. This is a historic step towards achieving the goal to ensure equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally, in what will be part of the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history.