We are not helpless as a people. We are not helpless individually because we have an effective vaccine.

These were the sentiments shared by Head of Health Protection for the Ministry of Health and Medical Services Dr Aalisha Sahukhan.

Dr Sahukhan said: “We have a very important tool right now that the world did not have last year, that’s the effective vaccine.”

She said what the ministry feared when the second wave of the outbreak began was now happening.

“Today we have recorded a record number of cases, and this has been happening in the past days,” she said.

“How many other cases per day are we going to expect? That’s the question a lot of people are asking. We know that the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine works very well to prevent severe disease from the very variant that is affecting us right now.”

She said there was clear evidence from the United Kingdom that the vaccine was 92 per cent effective against severe disease from the delta variant.

“For everyone out there who has not received their first dose and are thinking about it, you’re wondering about the side effects, you’re delaying your decision but you’re uncertain, please remember one thing, you need two doses of the vaccine to become protected,” he said.

“To receive that 92 per cent protection that I am talking about and these two doses are spaced two weeks apart. The longer you delay, the more at risk you’re putting yourself and your families.”

Widespread community transmission

She said the increase in cases in the Lami, Suva and Nausori containment zone clearly indicated widespread community transmission.

She said beyond the cases, what the worry was on the severe cases that cause hospitalisation and the deaths.

“What we are most concerned about is this next wave. The wave of people with severe illness requiring hospitalisation and the death that will come with it. We are just starting to see what we think is the beginning of that wave right now.

“We are recording deaths and the numbers of those in ICU with severe cases continue to rise,” she said.