Over 100,000 persons receive second Covid-19 vaccination doses

Over 100,000 individuals have completed their second vaccination doses under the government’s “Covid-19 Dhifaau” inoculation drive.

According to the latest statistics publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) late Friday, a total of 5,285 individuals were vaccinated against the global Covid-19 pandemic across Maldives on Thursday.

Of this, 1,278 persons were administered their first Covid-19 shots whereas 4,007 persons received second vaccination doses on Thursday.

First doses administered on Thursday include 526 Malé residents and 752 atolls residents, whereas 2,083 Malé residents and 1,924 atoll residents received second doses across 240 vaccination centers in outlying atolls and from four mobile teams across 11 vaccination centers in the capital.

This has pushed the total number of individuals who have received their first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to 296,529. A total of 101,346 individuals have been administered their second shots nationwide by the end of Thursday.

Vaccination centers are to be closed across the nation on Fridays during the ongoing fasting month of Ramadan. Further HPA revealed that vaccination centers will also be closed across the capital region on 1 May.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih launched the “Covid-19 Dhifaau” inoculation drive on February 1 with the Oxford AstraZeneca Covishield vaccinations produced by India’s Serum Institute. After temporarily discontinuing the first round of vaccinations on March 15, the public health authorities resumed administering the first doses of vaccination on March 22 with the Sinopharm vaccination. HPA began administering the second Covishield vaccination doses on April 3 and the second doses of Sinopharm are also being administered currently for those who have completed four weeks since receiving the first jab.

5,500 doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine allocated to the Maldives through the COVAX facility is also being administered to special groups, such as children aged 16 and 17, along with adults over 60 on long term medication for chronic illnesses. Adults between 18 and 60 who have undergone an organ transplant, require regular dialysis, have cancer and are on chemotherapy or radiotherapy, along with patients who require immunosuppressant drugs and have been on long term steroid medication will be eligible for the Pfizer vaccine. HPA has urged those who registered for the vaccine to turn up for their scheduled appointments as there is a limited stock of the Pfizer vaccines.

Maldives is using the Oxford AstraZeneca Covishield vaccination, Sinopharm as well as Pfizer vaccines in its inoculation programme.