Maldives to begin administering Sinopharm vaccine on Monday

Health Protection Agency (HPA) has announced the second round of COVID-19 vaccination will begin in the greater Male’ region on Monday with the Sinopharm vaccine from China.

Maldives began its COVID-19 vaccination program on February 1 with the Covishield vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. 218,645 people have received their first dose of the Covishield vaccine since then – 121,630 of whom were from in the greater Male’ region and 97,015 of whom were in the atolls.

Maldives Food and Drug Authority authorized emergency use of the Sinopharm vaccine on March 14.

HPA has announced the administration of the first dose of Sinopharm vaccine will begin in greater Male’ region on Monday. The vaccine is available to all residents of greater Male’ region above the age of 18 years.

VACCINATION CENTERS IN GREATER MALE’

• Social Center (10:00-16:00)
• Islamic Center (10:00-16:00)
• Vilimale' Youth Center (10:00-14:00)
• Hulhumale’ Vaccination Center (previously Flu Clinic) (10:00-16:00)
• Parliament (10:00-16:00)
• Tree Top Hospital (10:00-16:00)

Those who go to get vaccinated are required to take their national ID card or other official identification documents and must not exhibit symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or be under quarantine. They are also advised to wear loose clothing to make it easier to show their shoulder for the vaccine shot, carry their own water bottles. They are also required to disclose information regarding the medication they are currently on.

The second dose will be administered within three to four weeks after the first dose.

The Sinopharm vaccine is an inactive vaccine was developed by Sinopharm and Beijing Institute of Biological Products.

Maldives currently has 18,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine, and the Chinese government has pledged to donate 200,000 more doses.