Male’, Maldives —The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has invited individuals travelling abroad for medical or educational purposes to administer the second dose of the Covishield Covid-19 vaccine.
While the island nation began its vaccination program on February 1st with the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, HPA began administering the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine on 9 February 2021. These are the people who have completed eight weeks since the first dose.
However, HPA mentioned at a press conference that for those who wish to travel to a foreign country either for a medical purpose or educational purpose at an early time, then they can volunteer to administer the second dose of the vaccine if they have completed four weeks since the first dose.
This opportunity is only open for the people who will not be able to return back to the Maldives by the time they complete twelve weeks since their first dose.
Vaccination of Covishield second dose started in four centers of the capital city, Malé on 3 April 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.
