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Administration of 2nd dose to begin on Saturday

The Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC) will begin the giving the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday.

While an official from HEOC confirmed that the centre would begin to administer the second dose on Saturday, the details of the schedule will be announced by the center over the next two days, he said.

The Maldives began its first round of inoculations on February 1st using the COVISHIELD vaccine manufactured by India’s Serum Institute under a special license from AstraZeneca. Since then, China’s Sinopharm vaccine has also been approved and is being used in the country’s vaccine program.

HEOC previously announced that the second dose of the COVISHIELD vaccine will be given eight weeks after the first shot is given, and that the second dose of the Sinopharm vaccine will be administered four weeks after the initial shot.

235,682 people have received the first shot of the vaccines thus far. The government has advice the public to get their first shot prior to the Holy month of Ramadan.