Malé, Maldives – Health Protection Agency (HPA) has announced that people living in Greater Malé Area, over 20, can now receive their Covid-19 vaccine.
In addition to this people above 18 years of age with chronic health conditions and caretakers of bedridden patients can also get their vaccination from the vaccination stations.
Those who are going to receive the vaccine were instructed to bring in an official identification document, such as their national ID cards, as well as to ensure the following;
- Ensure that there are no signs or symptoms of the virus in the person going to get vaccinated
- Ensure that the individual is not quarantined
- Wear a loose outfit which provides easy access to vaccination site (upper arm area)
- Eat well prior to getting vaccinated
- Carry a water bottle when going for the shot
- Ensure that the recipient is not accompanied by more than one bystander
Despite the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination campaign, experts urge the public to not fall into a false sense of security and remain vigilant by practicing all health and safety measures set in place by the HPA against Covid-19 as the country has entered a third wave and is battling a new variant of the Covid-19 virus confirmed recently.
With the surge in numbers for the total active cases experts have warned that the country’s health care system is becoming overwhelmed, urging everyone to do their part in curbing the spread of the virus, and staying safe.
The vaccine currently being administered in Maldives is the Covishield vaccine, licensed by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, in collaboration with Oxford University, and mass produced by the Serum Institute of India.
Maldives received 100,000 doses of the Covishield vaccine from India, which is currently in use, while additional 700,000 doses procured by the country are to be received within the March. However, the country will receive the vaccine shipment from World Health Organization (WHO), which would be sufficient to vaccinate at least 20 percent of the population of the country, with in the upcoming two weeks. Another 100,000 doses of Covishield has been donated to Maldives from India earlier this month.
While China has also decided to donate 100,000 vaccines to the country, Maldives already received 10,000 doses of the Chinese made Sinopharm vaccine via a donors Health Protection Agency has not yet named.
