Vaccination for locals and expats above 18 to start in Addu

Addu starts vaccinating for Covid-19. Dr. Adhsar pictured receiving the first dose | Photo: Addulive

Addu city, Maldives – Addu Equatorial Hospital (AEH) has announced that vaccination for all locals above 18 years of age and for expatriates with chronic health conditions in Addu City from March 3, 2021 onward.

Vaccination is available from the vaccinating locations between 10:00 and 16:00. Vaccination is available at Nooraanee School and Sharafudhin School for people from Hithadhoo, Irushadhiyya School for people from Maradhoo and Maradhoofeydhoo, Feydhoo School for those in Feydhoo and S. Atoll School for people in Hulhumeedhoo.

Expatriates are required to bring in their passports with supporting medical documents verifying their health conditions to get vaccinated.

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

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 week. 

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.