Palau nears 100 percent Covid vaccination

The tiny Pacific nation of Palau has emerged as one of the world's most vaccinated places with more than 99 percent of the eligible population fully protected against Covid-19, according to data released Thursday.

In a population of about 18,000, almost 15,000 people have been fully vaccinated, according to the country's ministry of health and human services.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said that meant more than 99 percent of the eligible population had been fully jabbed.

In a statement, the health body praised what it said was a "remarkable" pace of vaccination, but warned that coverage elsewhere in the South Pacific was patchy.