COVID-19 and vaccination rollout in Fiji: Challenges caused by digital platform

Examining the relationships between trust in providers and information, mistrust, and COVID-19 vaccine concerns, necessity, and intentions

To facilitate maximum uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine, the roles of medical trust and mistrust of healthcare professionals must be examined. Previous work suggests that trust and mistrust may have differential impacts on vaccination intention via vaccine necessity and concerns. Multigroup structural equation modeling was utilized to test whether vaccine necessity and concerns mediated the associations between trust in providers and health information, mistrust of providers, and willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The model was found to be invariant across Black and White respondents. Trust in providers and trust in healthcare information exerted indirect effects on intentions through vaccine necessity, while mistrust of providers exerted indirect effects through vaccine concerns. Unlike previous work, the forms of trust did not influence vaccine concerns. The findings have implications for future communication efforts from healthcare professionals and health messengers.

Mass vaccinations against COVID-19 through the use of technologies for the management of appointment scheduling and data of large volumes of vaccinated

Mass vaccination against COVID-19 using technologies to manage appointment scheduling and data in large volumes of vaccinated people Abstract Mass vaccination poses a challenge for health authorities due to the high volume of people who need to be vaccinated in a short period of time. Manual processes in vaccination centres to record and control vaccinations where the data is entered on paper result in delays in the timely input of information rendering the vaccination process inefficient. The proposed prototype, as a strategy for mass COVID-19 vaccination, to generate appointments, record, and control entry to vaccination centres, uses mobile technology, QR codes, and cloud computing to automate these data-driven processes. Technology-based processes help people by giving them the flexibility to choose the most convenient vaccination centre and provide health authorities with data-driven tools for management, control, and real-time decision-making.

Vacunaciones masivas contra el COVID-19 mediante el uso de las tecnologías para la gestión de programación de citas y de datos de grandes volúmenes de vacunados

Las vacunaciones masivas son un desafío al que se enfrentan las autoridades sanitarias, debido al alto volumen de ciudadanos que deben de ser vacunados en un corto tiempo. Los procesos manuales en los centros de vacunación para el registro y control de las vacunas donde se emplea el papel como elemento repositorio de los datos, generan retrasos en la entrega oportuna de la información procesada y el proceso de vacunación se vuelve ineficiente. El prototipo propuesto como estrategia de vacunación masiva contra el COVID-19 para la generación de citas, registro y control del ingreso a los centros de vacunación utiliza las tecnologías móviles, código QR y Cloud Computing, para la automatización de estos procesos basados en datos. Los procesos apoyados en la tecnología ayudan al ciudadano por la flexibilidad de elegir el centro de vacunación más conveniente a su realidad y permiten a las autoridades sanitarias disponer de herramientas basadas en datos para la gestión, el control y la toma decisiones en tiempo real.

Practice, benefits, and impact of personal protective equipment (PPE) during COVID-19 pandemic: Envisioning the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) through the lens of clean water sanitation, life below water, and life on land in Fiji

BACKGROUND

The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) highlights the global health emergency. To limit the rate of COVID-19 transmission to health care workers, adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) are required. Emerging reports indicate that the widespread usage of PPE during the COVID-19 outbreak has exacerbated plastic contamination in the ocean.

PURPOSE

This paper attempts to understand the influence of practice, benefits, and impact of PPE during the COVID-19 crisis on clean water sanitation, life below water, and life on land (SDGs 6, 14, and 15 respectively) in Fiji and assess the effectiveness of measurements taken to deal with this crisis. Fiji is a small Pacific Island Country (PIC) and the global crisis of COVID-19 entered the Fijian border on 19th, March 2020. The second wave of COVID-19 was reported on 18th, April 2021, which began at a managed quarantine facility after contact between a couple returning from India to Fiji and a soldier. Since then the number of cases has been increasing daily and posing a risk to the public.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

A personal observation was made to collect the PPE pollution on the streets, near roads, car parks, markets, and towns.

RESULTS

Widespread PPE pollution was noticed, and the common PPE found on the Vesivesi road in Suva, Fiji were facemasks (61.36%) and hand gloves (38.64%), as it is mostly used by the public, police officers, municipal waste management, shopping malls workers, and medical care workers. Face shield littering was limited due to fewer users.

CONCLUSIONS

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this study stresses a great concern on enabling SDGs 6, 14, and 15 and how the use of PPE during this period has impacted the natural environment. It is critical to remember that managing PPE waste during a contagious pandemic should be treated as an emergency and handled quickly.

An overview of the Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) crisis in Fiji: Correspondence

Fiji is facing the second wave of COVID-19 and has been recording increased number of COVID-19 cases. The response of Fijian Government is mainly directed towards obtaining international assistance in terms of expertise and vaccinations. While international support is necessary for the country, the Fijian Government also needs to consider the basic needs of the affected Fijians. In response, this article will provide an overview of the current COVID-19 crisis in Fiji to justify the need for reshaping the current approach of the Fijian Government.

Remote learning and online teaching in Fiji during COVID-19: The challenges and opportunities

Fiji is a small Pacific Island Country with a population of around 902,536 people. The current pandemic of COVID-19 is impacting the well-being, social life, and economic status of the country. Besides, the well-known health difficulties caused by this virus, education is another crucial sector that has been crippled. To prevent the local transmission of such deadly virus the common exercises used globally are lockdowns (stay-in), social distancing, and use of PPEs (facemask, hand glove, and face shield). As a result, students, and teachers at all levels of school have been obliged to quickly adapt to online learning. Therefore, in this paper, an outlook of COVID-19 and its impact on the educational system is discussed.

COVID-19 in Fiji

With the implementation of strict quarantine and adjunct health measures, Fiji was largely spared from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In April 2021, the arrival of the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 resulted in a major outbreak that is only now under control. The country enacted swift countermeasures to reduce population movement, but the delta variant gained a foothold in the peri-urban areas of the largest city, Suva, and from there spread to other major urban centres of the largest island, Viti Levu. A very effective vaccination campaign has since been implemented resulting in a rate of two-dose vaccination, above 70%, that exceeds many higher income countries and, as of late October 2021, the numbers of COVID-19 cases were in decline. Fijian life, especially in rural settings, is based on hierarchical but supportive community structures and the responsibilities that flow from community membership, for example, attending large funerals, mitigated against the organised and systematic control response instituted by the Fijian Ministry of Health and Medical Services, including vaccination, and the other Government agencies. A positive consequence of the outbreak has been the development of new capabilities, and the distribution of molecular diagnostic technologies that can be exploited to help control other infectious diseases.