The Government of the United States of America donated 128,700 doses of Pfizer vaccine to the Maldives through the COVAX facility. On behalf of the Government of Maldives, Ahmed Naseem, Minister of Health, received the vaccines at a ceremony held Monday at Velana International Airport.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Naseem commended the leadership of the Government of the United States of America on global vaccination efforts and for including the Maldives among the first countries to receive COVID-19 vaccines from the United States. Minister Naseem also thanked the Government of the United States of America for the continuous and unwavering support extended to the Maldives since the beginning of the pandemic and noted that such generosity and friendship have increased the capacity of the Maldives to combat the spread of the virus more effectively.
Minister Naseem also noted that with the donation of Pfizer vaccines, the Government can now start vaccinating children between the ages of 12 and 18 for the very first time. In her remarks, Ambassador Teplitz reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of the United States of America to continue working together to further strengthen the dynamic partnership between the two countries.
The Government of the United States of America has so far contributed over USD 5.4 million to the Maldives COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, including a grant aid of USD 2 million, multiple donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), PCR machines, ventilators, and related equipment, as well as donations through several multilateral agencies such as IAEA and UNICEF.
