1,675 atoll residents were vaccinated against the global Covid-19 pandemic on Friday.

According to the latest statistics publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) late Friday, the vaccinations included 432 first doses and 1,243 second doses.

This has pushed the total number of individuals who have received their first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to 296,961. A total of 102,589 individuals have been administered their second shots nationwide by the end of Friday.

Vaccination centers are to be closed across the nation on Fridays during the ongoing fasting month of Ramadan. Vaccination centers were closed across the capital region during the past weekend.

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.