Travelling Kiwis urged to get boosted despite vaccination rise in the Pacific

Wednesday, 29 June 2022

Organisers of the Niuean vaccination event are using a TikTok challenge to encourage people to get their Covid-19 jabs in south Auckland.

The Pacific is beginning to reopen to the world – more than two years since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the region – but Kiwi travellers are being warned against complacency.

While the move is being welcomed by tourism officials and operators across the Pacific, the persistent presence of Covid-19 is complicating plans, health experts say.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), vaccination and booster rates in the Pacific have increased since April this year.

The associate dean of public health at Auckland University, Sir Collin Tukuitonga, believes the “lifting of border restrictions in the region is bound to happen at some point” and Kiwis travelling to the islands must ensure they are vaccinated against Covid-19, including the double-booster shots.

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Doctors Alvin, Adrienne and Allen Mitikulena helped launch 'Te Folauga: The Journey' in 2019 to celebrate Pacific success in health sciences at Otago University. Dr Alvin Mitikulena is urging Niueans to get double-boosted before travelling back home.

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Niue, also known as the Rock, is the latest Pacific nation to open its borders, with the first flight from Auckland touching down in Alofi on Tuesday.

Dr Alvin Mitikulena, project lead for the Niue Wellington Covid-19 Action Group, said just over 6000 out of the 30,000 Niueans living in Aotearoa had contracted the virus “but this number is not as high as other Pacific Islanders”.

University of Auckland academic Sir Collin Tukuitonga hopes the decision to widen access to the second booster will improve a sluggish uptake.

He said most Niueans had not seen family and friends since March 2020, and were heading home now that border restrictions had lifted.

Close to 90% of Niue’s 16,000 population was vaccinated against the coronavirus, the WHO said, with a total of 10 cases in Niue since March this year – all in border quarantine.

“For Niue, opening its borders for quarantine-free travel as of June 27 does raise concerns, particularly for those living on the island, who have had very little to no exposure to Covid-19 apart from those in quarantine,” Mitikulena said.

“While the tourism operators on the tiny island are happy, we must also think of ways to keep the visitors and the locals safe. And to do this, everyone who is eligible to get the vaccine must do so.”

While Mitikulena acknowledged that even the vaccinated could still contract Covid, he was confident in Niue’s health system and strategies to stay vigilant and protect its people.

Health Minister Andrew Little said an extra 800,000 New Zealanders would be eligible for free flu vaccines from July 1 and a second Covid-19 booster has been announced. (File photo)

“We don’t expect Niueans to become very unwell unless they have other health issues. We are seeing more deaths in our older population in New Zealand. The Niue population is relatively young and my hope is that with the high vaccination rate they stand to gain. We shouldn’t expect to see large numbers of Covid cases or deaths.”

Tukuitonga, who had been advising the Niuean Government on its health response, said the border reopening to New Zealand could increase the risk of Covid-19 entering the community.

There were only three or so doctors on the island and limited high-dependency beds, he said, and that Niue might only be able to cope with two or three high-dependency patients before calling for New Zealand’s assistance.

He said that despite quarantine being scrapped in Niue, he was pleased Covid-19 measures remained. Travellers must be fully vaccinated, have a negative PCR test within 48 hours of leaving New Zealand, and get tested on days one and three after touching down in Niue.

In New Zealand, the Government has announced more free flu vaccines and a second Covid-19 booster for groups of people at risk of hospitalisation. Health Minister Andrew Little said an extra 800,000 New Zealanders would be eligible for free flu vaccines from July 1.

Mitikulena said it was “critical” that Kiwis get that second booster shot before making any plans to travel. “They are going to have high antibody levels again, they are less likely to get Covid and less likely to infect the local community.

“It is a no-brainer. And don’t travel if you have any respiratory infections. It can take up to two weeks before Covid appears so if you are double-boosted, you are protected.”

New Caledonia, Fiji, Tahiti and Papua New Guinea are already open to the world, and the Cook Islands accepts tourists who travel through New Zealand or Australia.

Most Pacific nations have had 90% of their target populations vaccinated for months now, however this can’t be said for Papua New Guinea – the most populous country in the region (8.9 million). Papua New Guinea, with close to 45,000 Covid cases and 662 deaths, had vaccinated only 4% of its target population, the WHO said.

When Fiji reopened to international travellers on December 1, it had less than 10 Covid cases. Six months on, Fiji’s Health Ministry has reported just over 3600 cases (some were detected at the border), with 161 now in isolation.

More than 118,000 tourist arrivals have been recorded in Fiji since December. Fiji has a 95% vaccination rate.

Since January this year, Vanuatu has had 10,000 cases, with 73% of its target population inoculated, the government said. Vanuatu will reopen its border in July.

Samoa, which has had close to 15,000 cases of Covid-19, will welcome visitors from August 1, Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa said in May. The prime minister also said that 92.6% of those aged 18 years and older were fully vaccinated and 70,489 Samoans have had their booster shots.

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) has reported 63% of its eligible people aged 5 and over have received both jabs. Covid-19 vaccination in the Solomon Islands and Kiribati remain at 45% and 73% respectively.

Tonga is looking at November or December to open up. Nauru has close to 2500 cases in the community. President Lionel Aingimea said 53% or one in two people tested were positive. He was urging Nauruans to get vaccinated – nearly 80% of the target population has.

American Samoa reported more than 6000 cases of Covid-19 in the community with 31 deaths since February this year. The government also announced that close to 76% of the adult population was vaccinated.

As of June 28, there were 38,341 active cases in New Zealand, with the Ministry of Health reporting 8028 new community cases and a total of close to 1500 deaths.