DoH acting director Vesi Talalelei Fautanu Jr.
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Instead of using a quarter-million dollars in local revenue to fund a government-sponsored raffle to boost COVID-19 vaccinations, some senators suggested other options such as working with village pulenu’u.
This was raised during the Senate Health/Hospital Committee...

![Health Department acting director, Vesi Talalelei Fautanu Jr., focused his attention on questions about COVID-19 vaccinations at last week’s Senate Health Committee hearing. Some faifeau were noted as calling in to the DoH to explain it was their religious belief which prevented them from getting vaccinated. [photo: FS] Health Department acting director, Vesi Talalelei Fautanu Jr](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/doh_n_senate.jpg?itok=e0T2pfZh)