Covid-19 vaccination: nearly 300,000 persons receive first doses by Tuesday's end

Close to 300,000 individuals have received the first doses of Covid-19 vaccination under the government’s “Covid-19 Dhifaau” inoculation drive.

Covid-19 vaccination shots were administered to a total of 6,289 persons on Tuesday.

According to the latest statistics publicized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) late Wednesday, the vaccinations included 1,011 first doses and 5,278 second doses.

Of this, 245 persons received first doses and 597 persons were administered their second vaccination shots from four mobile teams across 11 vaccination centers across the Greater Malé Region. Tuesday’s vaccinations also include 766 atoll residents who received first doses and 4,681 residents across outlying atolls who received second vaccine doses from 240 vaccination centers.

This has pushed the total number of individuals who have received their first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to 299,407. A total of 119,518 individuals have been administered their second shots nationwide by the end of Tuesday.

Vaccination centers are to be closed across the nation on Fridays during the ongoing fasting month of Ramadan.

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.

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

Healthcare authorities halted administering the India-sourced Covishield vaccinations on Tuesday, at a time there have been reports that the Maldives is low on Covishield supply. However, authorities have since revealed that they expect to receive a shipment of the Covishield vaccination within a fortnight, and that efforts are currently underway to procure supplies.