Dr Shiraany Abdul Rahman, who was the first to receive the initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the Maldives said she volunteered to receive the first jab in order to set an example for others.
Dr Shiraany is one of the longest serving medical officers at Hulhumale’ Hospital. Speaking to the media after receiving the vaccine, Dr. Shiraany said some have to volunteer to receive the initial vaccines in order to build the confidence of the country’s citizens in the vaccine.
Shiraany added that the commencement of the vaccination program in the Maldives would pave the way to decrease the number of COVID-19 cases in the Maldives, noting that many lives have already been lost due to the virus. The doctor said she felt no discomfort besides the initial prick of the needle when the vaccine was being administered.
The Maldives’ vaccine program kicked off on Monday morning at Maldives Centre for Social Education (MCSE). First Lady Fazna Ahmed, Speaker of Parliament and Former President Mohamed Nasheed, and Chief Justice Uz Ahmed Muthasim Adnan, alongside several other dignitaries attended the ceremony. Thirty-six individuals, including the President, Speaker of Parliament, Chief Justice, state dignitaries, frontline healthcare staff, and elderly and persons with comorbidities, received their initial dose of the two-dose vaccine on Monday morning.
