Acting Health Minister Maireng Sengebau in an interview said that it will cover everyone living in Palau, all the 20,000 population.
Pearl Marumoto, Administrator for Public Health Office of Planning and Development said the mass immunization is for free and it will be administered to everybody “regardless of race or ethnicity.”
The Bureau of Public Health will also be administering the seasonal influenza vaccine and the Monday immunization will kick off in Koror at all of its hamlets and will continue to Airai and Babeldaob and the southern states.
The vaccines are suitable for adults and children six months old and older.
Marumoto said that people with certain medical conditions may not be eligible to receive the vaccines and should consult a physician or healthcare provider before receiving the vaccine.
The mass immunization, Marumoto said is “ in anticipation of community protection to the next wave of swine flu.”
The U.S. Center for Disease Control provided Palau a grant of $1.7 million
The Ministry of Health’s Emergency Operations Center has temporarily suspended its operations due to the low number of Influenza-like-illnesses but continues to monitor the trends of ILI and H1N1.
At the moment the number of confirmed cases in Palau remains at 44 with no H1N1 related deaths.
The mass vaccination will be until Nov. 14 and will go on after the entire population has been immunized.
