Ministry of Health, on Sunday, announced that vaccination for COVID-19 will begin in Maldives on Monday.
State Minister of Health Shah Mahir told local media Mihaaru that vaccination will commence in Kulhudhuffushi, Haa Dhaalu Atoll, in the north and Addu Atoll in the South, in addition to capital Male’.
“Health workers will be vaccinated first”, Shah said.
Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) approved the India-gifted COVISHIELD vaccines for restricted use in "emergency situation", defined by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, subjected to various regulatory provisions.
COVISHIELD was manufactured by the world's largest vaccine producer Serum Institute of India, using a formula prepared in a collaborative effort by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. British Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency approved the vaccine on December 30, 2020.
Maldives currently stocks 100,000 doses of the aforementioned vaccine, and the government has now signed an agreement with AstraZeneca's Singaporean company for an additional 700,000 doses.
HPA had formerly stated that senior citizens and persons at high risk will be vaccinated after health workers.
The vaccine is strictly not to be administered for persons below 18 years of age and pregnant women.
Over 20,000 people have now registered for vaccination in Maldives. The country currently stocks enough doses to vaccinate 50,000 people.
The island nation records a total of 15,736 virus cases of which 1,582 are active cases, in addition to 14,096 recoveries and 51 deaths.
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