Covid-19: Over 90,000 persons vaccinated nationwide

With 5,755 successful vaccinations conducted on Wednesday, a total of 90,865 people have been vaccinated against Covid-19 in the Maldives since the beginning of the national Covid-19 vaccination programme.

The most recent vaccination update made public by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) revealed that health workers were able to conduct 5,755 vaccinations across the country between 6pm Tuesday and 6pmWednesday. This includes 3,123 persons vaccinated in nine vaccination centers across the Greater Male' Area and 2,632 persons inoculated in 169 vaccination centers established in different atolls.

Following Wednesday's vaccinations, a total of 90,865 persons have received their first dose of the Covishield vaccine in the Maldives since the start of the national Covid-19 vaccination programme on 1 February. The total number of those vaccinated in the Male' area is currently reported at 64,900, and a total of 25,965 persons have been vaccinated in different atolls since the beginning of February.

Vaccinations are now open for all those above the age of 25 in the Male' area, with all those eligible to receive vaccines strongly encouraged to attend centers and do so as soon as possible.

Wednesday saw health authorities initiate a vaccination programme for undocumented migrant workers across the nation's capital, in association with the Maldivian Red Crescent, in a move that has been hailed by the international community and locals alike on social media platforms. Francesco Rocca, the President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies tweeted in praise of the efforts being conducted by the Maldivian Red Crescent and health authorities to ensure vaccine equity for all, with authorities undertaking mammoth efforts to make Covid-19 vaccines accessible to all regardless of faith, nationality or immigration status.

Earlier this week, health authorities confirmed that Covid-19 vaccines have now been transported to all atolls of the Maldives, with the island nation having received an additional 100,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine from India earlier in the week.

On Tuesday, the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) confirmed that the Maldives had received 100,000 syringes from the COVAX facility, squashing media misconceptions that the country had been granted doses of the Covid-19 vaccine from the COVAX facility. As of now, the Maldives has secured over a million doses of the vaccine, including 700,000 doses acquired by the government through an as-yet undisclosed agreement signed between the Ministry of Health and AstraZeneca Singapore Private Limited, in addition to doses secured by the island nation through the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC). Through the COVAX facility, the Maldives is set to receive enough doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to inoculate 20 percent of the nation's population.

The government is working to achieve their goal to vaccinate all those living in the Maldives against Covid-19, free of cost, in the coming months.