‘Oku ‘i lalo ha fakamatala faka-Tonga
Medsafe has granted provisional approval for two Pfizer Covid-19 booster vaccines which target Omicron variants BA.1 and BA.4/5.
Those aged 12 and over who have had at least their first two jabs will be eligible.
But the provisional approval does not mean the vaccines will definitely be used.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health said the Covid-19 Vaccine Technical Advisory Group would now give advice to the government who would then decide whether to use the vaccines.
The recommendations will first be considered by Director-General of Health Diana Sarfati before ministers make a final decision.
If approval is granted, the vaccines are expected to be available in the first quarter of 2023.
The advisory group will also review the eligibility criteria as part of the approval process.
The ministry said the current vaccines in use were still very effective at reducing the risk of serious illness and death, and urged people to ensure they had all the vaccines they were eligible for.
Medsafe’s website showed the provisional approvals for the two new vaccines were granted on 21 December, and are valid until 3 November, 2023.
FAKAMATALA FAKA-TONGA
Kuo foaki āe he Medsafe ha ngofua fakataimi āa e huhu maluāi pusitÄ āa e Pfizer ko ha tÄketi ‘eni ke ne fakafepaki’i āa e fÅtunga kehe āo e āOmikoloni BA.1 mo e BA.4/5.
Ko kinautolu taāu 12 mo āova ai pea kuo lava āenau āuluaki huhu maluāi āe uaā, te nau āatÄ ki he pusitÄ ko āeniā.
Ka ko e ngofua fakataimi ko āeniā āoku āikai āuhinga ia āe pau hano ngÄueāaki āa e huhu maluāi ko āeniā.
Naāe pehÄ mei he PotungÄue Moāuiā āi ha fakamatala āe fakahoko atu āe he Kulupu Covid-19 Vaccine Technical Advisory Group āenau faleāi ki he puleāangaā ke tuāunga ai haāanau tuāutuāuni pe āe ngÄueāaki āa e faitoāoā.
Ko e ngaahi fakahinohinoā ni āe āuluaki fakakaukauāi ia āe he Director-General of Health Diana Sarfati ki muāa hano aofangatuku āe he kau minisitÄ.
Kapau āe he tali āoku āi ai āa e āamanaki āe faingamÄlie āa e huhu maluāiā ni ki he āuluaki kuata āo e 2023.
āE toe liviu āe he kulupu faleāi āa e kulaitelia kia kinautolu āe kau ki he huhu maluāi āi he faitoāo ko āeni.
Naāe pehÄ āe he PotungÄueā ko e huhu maluāi āoku lolotonga ngÄueāaki āoku fuāu kei ola lelei ia āi hono fakasiāisiāi āa e lava ke toe puke lahi mo mate ha taha, pea āoku nau fakalotolahiāi āa e kakaiā ke fakapapauāi ke nau fakahoko āa e ngaahi huhu maluāi naāe totonu ke maāuā.