Malé, Maldives – President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has received the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine.
After receiving his second dose, President Solih had advised everyone who had received the first dose 8 weeks ago to get their second dose as soon as possible. President Solih had also advised for those who had not got their first dose to get it soon.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had inaugurated the launch of the nationwide Covid-19 vaccine program on February 1, 2021 and was the fourth person inoculated in the Maldives.
Vaccination of Covishield second dose started in four centers of the capital city, Malé on April 3, 2021. The second dose of Covishield vaccine, developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca and manufactured by Serum Institute of India (SII), is in progress two months after the first dose was administered. The first dose of Covishield was administered from 1 February to 15 March 2021.
Health Protection Agency (HPA) advises eligible individuals, those who have received the first dose during the aforementioned period, to bring their Dhifaafu Covid-19 vaccination card and national identity card or driver’s license to the vaccine center.
Individuals visiting the vaccination centers to get inoculated must be free from fever or other flu symptoms and must not be a direct of a confirmed Covid-19 case. HPA also advises to eat well before getting the jab.
While Maldives is still administering first dose vaccine, the current vaccine available for general population is Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine, Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine is being administered for individuals in special categories.
While two Covid-19 vaccines are being administered currently in the Maldives for first dose vaccinations, Health Protection Agency (HPA) has informed the public that the second dose will be of the same vaccine as they had received first. Covishield first dose receivers will get Covishield as the second dose, and Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine first receivers will get the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine second jab.
China has also pledged 200,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine to the Maldives. While the first batch of 100,000 doses were transported to Maldives by the national carrier Maldivian on March 25, 2021, preparations are underway to transport the second batch of vaccines to Maldives.
Maldives is also preparing to place an order for additional 300,000 doses of Covishield in preparation for the second dose vaccinations. The country previously administered 200,000 doses of Covishield which was received as donation from India for first dose administration.
Meanwhile, the government has signed an agreement with Astrazeneca Singapore Pte Ltd to buy 700,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine while 12,000 doses of Covishield have been received through the WHO COVAX facility. Maldives also receive 5,886 doses of Pfizer pledged by the COVAX facility yesterday.
