COVID-19 vaccination has commenced for high risk individuals over the age of 18.
HPA said vaccination of high-risk individuals between the age of 18 and 55, and all above the age of 55 will be carried out starting from February 13. High-risk individuals include those with risk factors such as cancer, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, stroke, obesity with BMI above 40, immunocompromised patients, stage 3 and 4 kidney disease, chronic liver disease and thalassaemia or sickle cell disease.
Vaccination will be carried out in the Social Centre and Islamic Centre in Male’ and the Hulhumale’ Vaccination Centre from 0900hrs until 1700hrs. Meanwhile, vaccination will be carried out in the Villimale’ Youth Centre from 0900hrs until 1300hrs.
As per the latest statistics of HPA, 1,902 people were vaccinated in the Maldives on February 12, including 1,496 people in the Male’ area and 406 people in the atolls. Since the beginning of the vaccination programme on February 1, a total of 27,367 people have been vaccinated including 22,456 people in the Male’ area and 4,911 people in the atolls.
The first round of the vaccination in the Maldives will see the rollout of 100,000 doses of Covishield vaccine, granted to the Maldives by India. Two shots of the vaccine are required to complete the dosage, with 4 weeks required between the two shots.