The Health Ministry has announced that COVID-19 vaccine administration will kick off in the Maldives on Monday.
The Maldives will be using AstraZeneca’s COVISHIELD vaccine. The Health Ministry said the vaccine rollout will commence in the capital Male’, northern city Kulhuduffushi and southernmost Addu City. The vaccines have now been delivered to the locations and are ready for inoculation, said the ministry.
Vaccinations will take place at state-run IGMH in capital Male’ as well as Hulhumale’ Hospital, Vilimale’ Hospital, ADK and TreeTop Hospital. Vaccines will be administered at the Equitorial Hospital in Addu City. The program will be carried out at Kulhuduffushi Regional Hospital in the north.
Front line workers are being prioritized for the first round of vaccination. However, the government expects to soon begin vaccine administration across the country.
India has donated 100,000 doses of the COVISHIELD vaccine. The Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) approved the vaccine for emergency use on January 26. The approval was issued after close technical review of the vaccine, and with the recommendation of the National Pharmaceutical Board.
