Maldives Red Crescent (MRC) is set to commence a campaign to raise public awareness on COVID-19 vaccination.
Speaking to PSM News, MRC Male’ Branch Manager Mohamed Adeel said MRC will be working with the relevant authorities and organisations to create awareness on the COVID-19 vaccine in the Maldives. Adeel said the information will be provided to local households, adding about 60 MRC volunteers will be active in the campaign. He said MRC will begin the campaign in the Male’ Region, as soon as Health Protection Agency (HPA) provides the permit to conduct the campaign.
Speaking further, Adeel said the target is to dispatch its teams to different areas in Male’ Region during the first week of February. He said MRC is working on identifying ways to conduct the campaign in areas which do not have a branch of the organization.
The government had earlier announced the decision to begin COVID-19 vaccination in the Maldives in the first quarter of 2021. It was revealed that the Maldives will receive free COVID-19 vaccines for 20% of the population through the COVAX Facility, which was established to guarantee fair and equitable access to the vaccine for every country in the world. HPA revealed 3% from that said percentage is allocated for frontline workers, while the remaining 17% is allocated for people aged 50 and above and for patients seeking treatment for long term diseases.
Furthermore, the government has also decided to sign an agreement with AstraZeneca Singapore to procure additional vaccines to the Maldives. The government aims to procure enough vaccines for the entire population.