The government of New Caledonia announced on Tuesday 5 January the forthcoming arrival of a batch of more than 14,000 doses of vaccine against Covid-19. These vaccines have been transferred free of charge by the French State. They should arrive in New Caledonia on Friday 8. The vaccine has been produced in Belgium by Pfizer/BioNtech and must be stored at – 80°C (- 112 degrees Fahrenheit). It requires two injections separated by 21-days. The main challenge with this vaccine is its storage.
What strategy ?
Three freezing sites located in the Northern and Southern Provinces of New Caledonia were chosen to store these vaccines until the vaccination campaign was launched. The local government has already warned that the people vaccinated will be selected according to their degree of exposure to the virus and their vulnerability. The authorities will present their vaccination strategy in the coming weeks.
No virus in New Caledonia
It should be noted that the virus does not circulate in New Caledonia. There have only been about forty cases, all of which came from outside and were taken to hospital as soon as they got off the plane. There were no deaths. The situation in New Caledonia is therefore very different from that in French Polynesia, which already has more than a hundred deaths.
Photo > The French Republic place carrying 14,625 vaccins, at the Tontouta airport. Credit > Haut-Commissariat de la République en Nouvelle-Calédonie Facebook account.
