The Wire

As the Pacific waits for the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, known as COVAX to roll out its vaccination program in the region, there is concern that developing countries will be overlooked in the scramble by wealthy countries to get a hold of finite vaccine supplies. Research from the Economist Intelligence Unit has predicted it could take as long as four years for the Pacific Islands to vaccinate over sixty percent of its population to achieve herd immunity. A hold-up in the distribution of Covid Vaccines in the region could see international borders closed for longer, leaving tourism reliant economies like New Caledonia and Vanuatu cut off from income.