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(CNN) – A group of islands in the Pacific Ocean that is one of the few places on Earth completely free from Covid-19 could become one of the first countries to be vaccinated against the disease.
The Republic of Palau, an archipelago that is home to about 18,000 people, received its first shipment of the vaccine developed by the American pharmaceutical company Moderna on Saturday. Vaccinations began the next day, the Palau Health Ministry announced on Twitter.
The first shipment included 2,800 doses of the vaccine, to be administered in two injections, 28 days apart. Health workers, key officials and vulnerable groups will be among the first to receive the vaccine, according to the ministry statement.
To date, Palau has not recorded a single coronavirus case or virus-related death, according to the World Health Organization.
In January, when the virus began to spread across Asia and the Pacific, Palau was one of the first to implement stricter border controls. Its borders were completely closed in March, and it began testing citizens for the virus in April. These measures were key to keeping Covid-19 out, Palau’s ambassador to the UN said in May.
Palau, an independent nation in free association with Washington, has access to the United States’ mass Covid-19 vaccination program, known as Operation Warp Speed (OWS).
The archipelago covers an area of just 177 square miles (459 square kilometers), about one-sixth the size of Rhode Island, the smallest state in the United States. That small size places Palau in a prime position to be among the first nations to be vaccinated against Covid-19, according to the country’s Health Ministry Incident Commander Ritter Udui.
“We are fortunate to be in a position where we have access to vaccines through OWS, and our small size makes it easy for us to implement the program,” Udui said. “It is not mandatory to receive the vaccine, so our goal is to vaccinate about 80% of the population. We hope to achieve herd immunity (through the vaccination program).”
Palau initially planned to have vaccines completed by May, but Udui said this deadline “will likely be extended” due to a slowdown in distribution from the United States.
Sylvia Osarch, 60, a doctor of geriatric medicine, was the first person in Palau to receive the vaccine on Sunday.
“I was excited to be an example for my community,” she said. “I want to tell the community that I took the vaccine to protect them. So when it’s your turn to take it, take it to protect us healthcare providers.”
Palau chose the Moderna vaccine because it can be stored in a standard refrigerator, Udui said. At first, the island did not have the facilities to store the Pfizer vaccine at the required minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit).
However, Udui confirmed that Palau received at least one cold storage unit in late December, which can store up to 5,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
This story was first published on CNN.com “Now free of coronavirus, this country in the Pacific islands could become the first in the world to be vaccinated.”
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