The Maldives begins the much-awaited COVID-19 vaccination program with several frontline workers and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih among the very first Maldivians to be vaccinated against the pandemic.
Health Protection Agency HPA had said yesterday that 3 cities across the country would begin the inoculation drive today including Male' City, Addu City, and Kulhudhufushi City.
In a ceremony held earlier today, Dr. Shiraany Abdul Rahman, a Resident Doctor at IGMH, became the first Maldivian to get vaccinated for COVID19 here in the country.
She was followed by another health worker and a high-risk patient. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih also received the jab today as he and several key ministers were on hand to get vaccinated including Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid and Defense Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi.
Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Nasheed and Chief Justice Muthasim Adan also received their vaccinations as all three branches of the democracy looked to wipe out the hoax talks surrounding the vaccine doses, a gift from the neighboring India given last month.
Private hospitals like ADK and Treetop have also begun vaccination while in Addu City and Kulhudhufushi City inoculation is well underway.
The Maldives received 100,000 doses of covishield vaccine from neighboring India earlier this month.
The Covisheild vaccine (developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca) was manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.
