Australian support for COVID-19 vaccination in Tuvalu

Tuvalu is on track to achieve comprehensive vaccination coverage of its adult population, with a delivery this week of 11,800 COVID-19 vaccines.

The Australia-facilitated charter flight carried 7,000 Australian-manufactured COVID-19 vaccines, as well as 4,800 doses allocated to Tuvalu by New Zealand as part of the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC). Australia is working closely with international partners to respond to the shared challenges of the Pacific region in facing the health and economic impacts of COVID-19.

Australia has contributed $130 million to the COVAX AMC to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for developing countries.

Australia's COVID-19 support to Tuvalu also includes delivery of four laboratory fridges and medicines including antibiotics, pain relief, heart medication and paediatric and maternal medicines. Tuvalu citizens were also repatriated on this flight, helping our Pacific neighbours to return to Tuvalu safely in line with the Tuvalu Government's health protocols.

Through the $523 million regional Vaccine Access and Health Security Initiative and bilateral funding, Australia is also supporting the Tuvalu Ministry of Health's communications campaign in support of the national vaccine roll-out.

Australia will assist Tuvalu with further support and continues to work closely with our Pacific family and the wider Indo-Pacific to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This week's delivery to Tuvalu, and others to Fiji, brings the total number of vaccines shared across the Pacific to date to 350,000.