As the Health Protection Agency (HPA) resumed administering the first doses of vaccination against the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic on Monday, the national vaccination total has crossed the 220,000-mark.
According to the latest Covid-19 vaccination updates publicized by the public health authority, 1,597 were inoculated across eight vaccination center and two mobile teams across the Greater Malé Region whereas 259 persons received their first Sinopharm doses in 169 vaccination centers across atolls
With this development, the total number of vaccination doses administered under the government’s national Covid-19 inoculation drive currently sits at 220,768, out of which 123,227 were in the Greater Malé Region.
267 vaccinations were carried out across outlying atolls on Monday, pushing the total number of Covid-19 vaccination administered to atoll residents to 97,541.
The incumbent administration initiated the national Covid-19 vaccination programme on February 1.
On March 15, authorities discontinued the inoculation programme across the Covid-19 epicenter Malé, however, the public health authority had revealed that vaccinations will continue for special groups, comprising of elderly persons, high-risk persons, those suffering from chronical illnesses and those who tested positive for the virus and are currently isolated, based on eligibility. The same procedure was to be followed for those who are currently quarantine after coming into contact with positive cases or after arriving in the Maldives after travelling abroad or from the capital city. Further, people who had to delay vaccination due to a medical condition or other health complications are eligible to receive their first dose of the vaccination after the deadline.
On Monday, the public health authority started the second round of vaccinations with the Sinopharm vaccine produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products of China, for everyone above 18 years of age who were unable to get their shots in the first round.
According to HPA, they will begin administering the second doses of Covishield during May or April at the earliest. The second dosages for the Sinopharm vaccinations will be given after three to four weeks following the first dose.
After the public health authority announced the discontinuation of Covid-19 vaccination, long queues were observed outside vaccination centers across the populous capital city. While two shots are required to effectively build immunity against the fatal infection, both shots must be of the same type.
The Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) earlier stressed the importance of vaccinating in order to build herd-immunity against Covid-19 within Maldivian communities as this would be the only way Covid-19 health and safety restrictions could be eased across the country.
Neighboring India donated 100,000 Covishield doses to the Maldives during January, followed by another consignment of 100,000 vaccination doses during External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar’s visit to the island nation in February. The government has since signed an agreement with Serum Institute of India and the Serum Institute of Life Sciences to purchase 300,000 more vaccination doses.
Further, Maldives also signed an agreement with Singapore’s AstraZeneca Company to purchase 700,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccination in December 2020. Details of the shipment’s arrival have not been confirmed by the authorities yet.
