Giff Johnson, Editor, Marshall Islands Journal / RNZ Pacific correspondent
The Marshall Islands became the first independent nation in the Pacific region to begin Covid-19 vaccinations on Tuesday as a group of high-ranking Marshall Islands leaders joined with Ministry of Health doctors and nurses to be the first to receive the United States government-provided vaccines.
The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) delivered to Majuro an initial batch of 1,200 vaccines Tuesday morning and the Ministry of Health wasted little time, rolling out the vaccine launch the same afternoon. We are getting vaccinated at the same time as people in the United States, said Health Secretary Jack Niedenthal. It is a great thing the US government is doing for us. This is a great day for all of us.