Maldives has received the first shipment of Pfizer vaccine doses supplied by COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX).
COVAX is a partnership co-led by Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi - The Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organisation (WHO) alongside key delivery partner United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). UNICEF Maldives revealed 5,850 doses of Pfizer vaccine was provided by COVAX.
With the arrival of Pfizer, the Maldives has received three different types of COVID-19 vaccines. The other two vaccines being administered in the Maldives are India’s Covishield and China’s Sinopharm. Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) authorised the use of Pfizer and Sinopharm vaccines in the Maldives on March 15.
The Pfizer vaccine is manufactured by American pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. and German biotechnology company BioNTech SE. The vaccine was among the first to receive authorisation from WHO for emergency use across the world. Pfizer is being administered in several countries around the world.
Based on evidence from clinical trials, Pfizer was 95% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in people without evidence of previous infections.