China has decided to donate 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the Maldives.
The decision was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives Abdulla Shahid, following a meeting with the Ambassador of China to the Maldives Zhang Lizhong on February 4. In a tweet announcing China’s decision, Minister Shahid said discussions are underway between the two countries to facilitate the arrival of the vaccines. He thanked the Government of China for its generosity towards the Maldives.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Zhang Lizhong tweeted that discussions are ongoing to ensure an early arrival of the 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, as pledged by the Chinese government. He said China is committed to making vaccines a global public good.
The Chinese ambassador did not announce the brand of vaccine that China is donating to the Maldives. However, he had used a picture of the Sinopharm vaccine in his tweet announcing the decision.
On February 3, Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC) had revealed the Maldives had received 5,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from a private party. HEOC said the vaccine is currently being analysed by Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) before authorising it for use in the Maldives.
The Sinopharm vaccine has completed phase three trials, and returned an efficacy rate of 79%. The vaccine has already been authorised in some countries around the world.