Malé, Maldives – After the 15th of March, only specific groups of individuals can receive the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in the Maldives, according to a statement today by the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC).
While HEOC previously stated that first dose administration would cease next Monday to make way for authorities to start administering the second dose of the currently available vaccine Covishield, they stated today that the following individuals can get the first dose:
- High risk individuals ( Senior citizens and individuals with long term illnesses)
- Individuals positive for Covid-19 and are currently in isolation
- Direct contacts currently in quarantine
- Individuals travelling from abroad and currently in quarantine
- Individuals who had to delay their first dose due to an illness or health condition
The Health Minister of Maldives Ahmed Naseem has stated that The Minister also added that administering the first dose to all individuals above the age of 18 in the Malé region is achievable, given that the daily vaccine administration capacity is at 10,000.
However, although the administering of the first dose will be discontinued on 15th March, it is likely that the second dose of the inoculation will not start being administered until April, given that the HPA has announced that the second dose will only be administered eight weeks after the first dose, and that the Maldives started the Covid-19 immunization campaign on the 1st of February.
As of today, Maldives has vaccinated a total of 175,456 individuals, of which, 75,635 are from the atolls and 99,821 individuals from the greater Malé region. Despite the geographical dispersement and the transportation challenges, the nation wide Covid-19 vaccination campaign has proven to be remarkably successful.
