Covid-19: National vaccination total reaches 218,645 on Saturday

The Maldives Covid-19 vaccination total has reached 218,645 on Saturday, with a pause in vaccinations from Male' and almost 600 vaccinations conducted across atolls.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih initiated the national Covid-19 vaccination programme "Covid-19 Dhifaau" on 1 February 2021.

Health professionals vaccinated a total of 599 people across the Maldives against Covid-19 on Saturday, pushing the nations vaccination total up to 218,645.

The latest vaccination update by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) confirms that 599 vaccinations were conducted across the Maldives on Saturday. All of these vaccinations were conducted across 169 vaccination centers in atolls, as no vaccinations were performed in the Greater Male' area on Saturday.

With this, the island nation's vaccination total is now 218,645, which includes 121,630 vaccinations performed in the capital of Male', and a total of 97,015 vaccines administered from outlying atolls.

While health authorities have announced they will discontinue administering the first doses of the Covishield vaccine on 15 March, elderly and high-risk persons will still be administered their first dose once the deadline closes.

In addition to this, people who tested positive for Covid-19 and are currently isolated will be vaccinated based on eligibility after the close of the deadline, with the same procedure reserved for those who are observing quarantine after coming into contact with positive cases. Further, people in quarantine after arriving in Maldives from abroad, or after travelling from Male', will also be administered their first dose of the vaccine after Monday. Lastly, people who had to delay vaccination due to a medical condition or other health reasons will also be eligible to receive their first dose of the vaccine after 15 March.

Vaccinations will be conducted for these special groups beginning Saturday

Spokesperson for the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) Dr. Nazla Rafeeq has, on multiple occasions, stressed the importance of vaccinating in order to build herd-immunity against Covid-19 within Maldivian communities, adding that this would be the only way restrictions to control the infection could be eased across the country.