Maldives to receive Covid-19 vaccination by January's end

Maldives will receive Covid-19 vaccination by the end of January.

A credible source told RaajjeMV that authorities are currently working to control the spread of Covid-19, under which a special priority has been given to acquiring vaccination for the pandemic, as soon as possible.

The source confirmed that Maldives will be able to access Covid-19 vaccination dosages by the end of the ongoing month.

The first batch of vaccination doses will be given to frontline workers of the health sector.

Maldives Minister of Health Ahmed Naseem had engaged in discussions with the World Health Organization on December 25 last year, in relation to acquiring Covid-19 vaccination.

The COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) accepted Maldives’ proposal for the free vaccine dosages to be distributed to each nation, during last December as well.

COVAX facility’s first batch of vaccination doses is set to cover 200,000 people of the nation’s population and Maldives will receive a total of 400,000 dosages, which will be brought in batches due to lack of storage facilities.

This comes at a time the government has also announced the decision to sign an agreement with a Singaporean company, AstraZeneca Singapore, to procure Covid-19 vaccination, under which some of the provisions under the Public Finance Regulation of the Maldives will be suspended.

The ministry noted that the provisions under the Public Finance Regulation will only be suspended in accordance with the agreement and for its duration.

As the vaccination is highly demanded by several countries affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the dosages are available for procurement only and will be issued under specific policies set for procurement.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih earlier announced that Covid-19 vaccines will be provided for all residents of the Maldives, for free.