The Maldives will receive 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in July, the government has announced.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference broadcast live Tuesday afternoon from the President's Office, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih reiterated that ensuring everyone is vaccinated remains the top priority of the government. He disclosed the latest updates on efforts to acquire more vaccines, including 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, produced in Singapore, due to arrive in July. The president said the government had signed a non-disclosure agreement with Russia to acquire 200,000 doses of the Sputnik vaccine and the doses would arrive within 4 weeks of signing the supply agreement. The Maldives was also listed among the first countries to receive vaccine aid from the United States of America, which the president stated may arrive within the month.
The president urged those who have not received the COVID-19 shots to get their vaccines at the earliest. Three vaccines are used in the Maldives' vaccination campaign, including the COVISHIELD vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India as well as China's Sinopharm vaccine. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is also being administered to those with serious morbidities.
The government signed an agreement with Singapore’s AstraZeneca Company to purchase 700,000 doses of the vaccine earlier on December 31st, 2020. However, none of the vaccines have been received to date.
