Nasheed shows interest in receiving Astrazeneca jab

Speaker of the Maldivian Parliament Mohamed Nasheed has stated that he very much wished to be administered the Covishield vaccine against COVID-19 provided by India. 

In a tweet, the former president said that he wished to gain protection from the virus as soon as possible. 

“I want everyone to become safe from the virus, including me, and not infect anyone else from my part.” Added Nasheed to his tweet. 

Nasheed’s tweet comes as health authorities work to prepare vaccinations in the Maldives. The order for inoculations has been determined with the first doses to be administered to healthcare workers and social workers. 

India has gifted the Maldives with 100,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Serum Institute of India, which is licensed to produce the Astrazeneca-Oxford University vaccine. 

Maldives is also a part of the COVAX facility to procure vaccines. The government has also made a purchase of 700,000 vaccines from Astrazeneca itself, to be delivered in the future.