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FSM extends vaccination deadline for Social Security beneficiaries
PALIKIR, Pohnpei—The Federated States of Micronesia has extended the mandatory requirement for FSM Social Security beneficiaries to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations.
The new deadline is now Sept. 30, 2021. The previously mandated date was Aug. 30, 2021.
FSM president David W. Panuelo issued a directive to the chair of the FSM COVID-19 Task Force last Aug. 18, 2021, extending the deadline to give ample time to the nation’s elderly citizens to complete their vaccination, and in a more comfortable and achievable timeline.
Additionally, Panuelo’s directive requires the administrator of the FSM Social Security Administration to provide the chair of the FSM COVID-19 Task Force a list of Social Security beneficiaries for the special purpose of verifying their COVID-19 vaccination coverage, including special exemption from the vaccination for those individuals with rare medical conditions upon their assessment by a qualified medical doctor.
The directive also requires the chair of the task force to provide timely updates to the president and bi-weekly updates to the public on the nation’s vaccination efforts.
Fifty-five percent of FSM’s eligible adult population is fully vaccinated, a 3%-increase from the previous week and directly attributable to the FSM-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate. A total of 63% of the nation’s eligible adult population has received partial COVID-19 vaccination coverage.
As of Aug. 18, 2021, FSM remains COVID-19 free. (PR)
