HEOC: Over 19,000 registered for inoculations in Maldives

Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) has specified that over 19,000 people have so far signed for inoculations against COVID-19 in the Maldives. 

Speaking in a presser last night, HEOC spokesperson Dr. Nazla Rafeeq said that over 1,000 registrations for vaccinations were being recorded every day. 

In total, 19,666 individuals have registered for vaccinations. Dr. Nazla urged more people to sign up for vaccinations. 

The vaccine is to be administered once the Maldivian Food and Drug Authority authorizes the use of it. Temperatures of stored vaccines are also to be monitored accordingly, stated the HEOC. Work was currently underway to further develop the storage facilities for the vaccine with assistance from the WHO and UNICEF. 

HEOC has previously stated that the vaccine will help curb the spread of the virus but maintained that vaccinations were not mandatory. 

The Maldives has now officially received the first batch of vaccines for the virus. The first shipment was a gift from India, consisting of 100,000 doses of the Covishield vaccine, the name of the vaccine developed by Astrazeneca and Oxford, and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. A further 700,000 doses of the vaccine are being purchased by the government of the Maldives.