HEOC: Administration of 1st vaccine dose will resume once plan for 2nd dose finalized

With the administration of the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine scheduled to be discontinued in greater Male’ region this Monday, Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) states authorities will resume administering the first dose to those who have yet to be vaccinated once the plan for the administration of the second dose is finalized.

In response to a question by Sun during a press conference on Monday afternoon, HEOC spokesperson Dr. Nazla Rafeeg said plans for administration of the second dose will be disclosed once authorities confirm when they will receive additional vaccine shipments.

“We are unable to give [a date] before we finalize these dates. Vaccination will begin once the planning for the second round is done,” she said.

Maldives began its national COVID-19 vaccination campaign on February 1, and by the end of last Sunday, administered the first dose the Covishield vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford to 206,114 people.

Maldives Food and Drug Authority approved emergency use of Sinopharm vaccine and Pfizer vaccine on Sunday. Maldives currently has 18,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, and the Chinese government has pledged a donation of 200,000 doses of the same vaccine.

Maldives is scheduled to receive 5,850 doses of the Pfizer vaccine under COVAX facility, and the government has signed agreements with AstraZeneca for 700,000 doses of the Covishield vaccine, and with Serum Institute of India for 300,000 more doses of the same vaccine.