US donates over 100,000 additional Pfizer doses to the Maldives

Student receiving Pfizer Vaccine in Kulhudhufushi City | Photo: KRH

Malé, Maldives – The United States donated 100,620 Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine doses to Maldives, adding to the nearly 120,000 doses it had previously donated.

This vaccine delivery builds on the U.S. government’s ongoing leadership on global vaccination efforts as the world’s largest donor to COVAX, the global vaccine access initiative.

“The United States applauds the government of Maldives’ efforts to vaccinate every person on every island to safeguard its population,” said Martin Kelly, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to Sri Lanka and Maldives. “Our joint efforts to protect family and friends from COVID-19 are vital to ending this pandemic and promoting economic recovery in Maldives and beyond.”

The Biden Administration is committed to ending the COVID-19 pandemic, mitigating its devastating social and economic impacts, and ensuring the world is better prepared for future outbreaks. Despite the unprecedented scale, speed, and complexity of this global vaccination effort, the United States has donated and delivered more than 300 million safe and effective vaccines to more than 100 countries around the world, saving lives and protecting communities.

In Maldives, the United States has worked closely with the government to respond to the pandemic, providing over $7 million in emergency supplies, training, and critical services, plus an in-kind donation of 60 ventilators. The United States worked with local organizations to expand COVID 19-related social protection services and implement a COVID safety awareness campaign. To foster Maldives’ long-term economic recovery, the United States is supporting the Maldivian government in developing effective economic, fiscal, and monetary measures to respond to the pandemic.

These doses are delivered in coordination with COVAX, in partnership with the Maldivian government, to build back a better world.