'Covid-19 immune' island nation has 99% of people over 12 fully vaccinated
Since launching its vaccination campaign in early 2021, 99% of Palau's population over 12 years old have received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
According to Reuters,Palau has become the country with the highest vaccination rate in the world. The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) said 16,152 people in the country have received two doses of the vaccine.
Palau officials once declared their country “immune to Covid-19”. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Palau has not recorded any domestic Covid-19 cases. A few scattered F0 cases were detected in May (1 person) and August (2 people), but all were imported tourists, with no secondary infections in the community.
Palau is currently one of only 14 countries in the world that has never recorded any community infections.
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Palau residents to be vaccinated against Covid-19 from early 2021. Photo:IFRC |
Palau is a small Pacific nation with an area of 459 square kilometers and a population of just over 18,000. The strategy to keep Palau free of Covid-19 is a bold but risky decision from its leader.
In March, the Covid-19 pandemic began to spread from Asia to neighboring countries. At that time, President Tommy Remengesau of the Republic of Palau closed its borders, banning entry from other countries. This was a difficult decision at that time because Palau's revenue and profits depended largely on foreign tourists.
As Europe, Asia and Latin America take a heavy blow from Covid-19, Palau stands firm in its choice. The island nation is located within 1,000-1,500 km of its neighbours Indonesia, the Philippines and the US territory of Guam.
With its outstanding vaccination rate, Palau leads the 500 islands in the western Pacific. Other Pacific nations that are among the world’s top in vaccination rates include the Cook Islands (population 17,000), with 96% of people receiving two doses of the vaccine. Meanwhile, Fiji (population 896,000) has a 96% rate of people receiving at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
In contrast, other countries in the region have been slow to roll out Covid-19 vaccines due to supply constraints and public reluctance. The IFRC said less than 10% of the population of Solomon Islands and Kiribati have been vaccinated. Solomon Islands has a population of 650,000, while Kiribati has a population of 119,000.
According to Our World in Data, in Papua New Guinea less than 1% of the population is fully vaccinated.
