Male’, Maldives – President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, while speaking today at L. Gan, has said that all residents of the country are to receive the Covid-19 vaccine at no cost.
At a ceremony speaking to the residents of L. Gan, President Solih detailed ongoing efforts by the global community to produce a safe vaccine and overcome the pandemic, adding that vaccine production has reached it’s final stage with most countries starting supply efforts.
In this regard, the president revealed the Maldivian government’s plans to provide all residents with the vaccine free of charge.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the Maldives is attempting to secure doses of the UK’s Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and the very successful vaccine developed by American biotechnology company Moderna.
In addition to this, the Ministry has revealed the establishment of a steering committee for the distribution of the vaccine, and said that ongoing efforts have identified priority age groups and categories for the vaccine.
State Minister of Health Dr Shah Abdulla Mahir, said yesterday that the purchase of 20 percent of the vaccines will be facilitated by the COVAX Facility – a global initiative co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and added efforts are underway to secure vaccines for the remaining 80 percent of the population.
He also noted that hat Maldives is preparing to receive the vaccine within the next two months.
