This letter serves to set the record straight and to clarify references that were made
in the above-mentioned article.
The report as referred to above outlines the Ministry of Health recommendations to
the National Health Services (NHS) in 2018.
This investigation report was prepared by the Ministry of Health at the time, led by
ACEO Health Service Performance and Quality Assurance Division of the
Ministry of Health – Dr. Robert Thomsen.
The report’s recommendations highlighted important areas for the NHS to
undertake to improve its service. The report was neither to point a finger at, nor to
blame anyone.
Critical to the nature of this report was the regulatory role of the Ministry of Health
in monitoring the services rendered through NHS. It is important to note that the
report was authored in 2018 before the amalgamation of the Ministry of Health and
the National Health Services in February 2019. The merger was a long process and
had its own challenges on the commencement of immunization in the country.
Legal proceedings and loss of public confidence in the national immunization
program were inevitable ramifications of the incident involving the death of two

infants in Savaii that further impacted on the health sector’s efforts to restart
immunization. There were many other contributing factors beyond the sector’s
control that caused setbacks on the national immunization.
The Ministry of Health despite these challenges will continue to commit to
improving national Immunization rates through the vaccination of all children in
Samoa. The immunization program is continuing to date for the measles and
other diseases in accordance with the National Immunization Policy. The Ministry
of Health implores the help of the country and especially the parents to ensure that
all children are immunized.

Leausa. Dr. Take Naseri
DIRECTOR GENERAL/CHIEF EXECUTIVE MINISTRY OF HEALTH