Vaccine shipment from India arrives in Maldives

The shipment of vaccines against COVID-19 provided by India to the Maldives has arrived in the Maldives. 

An Air India flight carrying 100,000 doses of the Covishield vaccine manufactured in India landed at the Velana International Airport a short while ago. The doses are sufficient to inoculate 50,000 people since the process requires two shots.

The supply of vaccines by India makes the Maldives the first country to receive vaccines manufactured in India. Covishield is the name used in India for the Astrazeneca-Oxford University vaccine. Indian media have reported that the vaccine has an efficacy rate of 90 percent. 

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in an address to the nation today, stated that the vaccine brought with it new hope for the nation, and thanked India for the free shipment. 

In other developments, health officials in the Maldives have also stated that the nation has an agreement with Astrazeneca for 700,000 more vaccines.