Vaccination now open for all aged above 25

Maldives has begun administering COVID-19 vaccine in its capital for everyone aged above 25. 

Up until yesterday, 85,100 people have received the vaccine against the virus in the nation. Health Protection Agency (HPA) announced last night that everyone above the age of 25 would not be able to receive the vaccine from designated vaccination centers in the capital Male’ City. 

Those taking medication or receiving treatment for long-term illnesses and are aged between 18-30 are also eligible for the vaccine. Vaccines are also available for people who are taking care of the elderly or bed-ridden individuals.

Vaccination will be underway at all designated centers in the capital from 9:00 to 16:00. A total of six centers are established in the capital alone. 

They are: 

• Social Center
• Islamic Center
• Vilimale’ Youth Center
• The former Flu clinic of Hulhumale’
• Parliament
• Tree Top Hospital in Hulhumale’

Up until today, vaccines had been administered to those aged above 30 and high-risk individuals. 

Numbers have shown that 61,777 people had so far received the vaccine in the capital area alone while 23,333 had received the vaccine from other atolls. 

The Maldives commenced vaccinations against COVID-19 on February 1. The second dose of the vaccine is to be administered after eight weeks of the first dose. 

The Maldives is administering the Covishield vaccine, developed by Astrazeneca and Oxford University. The first batch was 100,000 vaccines gifted by India. India has since gifted 100,000 more doses. 

China has also donated 100,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine which is yet to receive the green light of the local health authorities. 

A further 700,000 doses are to be procured by the Maldivian government which has signed an agreement with Astrazeneca. The vaccine developed by Pfizer is also to be procured by the Maldives.