China Pledges Additional 100K Doses Of Vaccine To The Maldives

On Thursday, the Chinese Ambassador to Maldives, His Excellency Zhang Lizhong, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Abdulla Shahid, where he informed that the Government of China has decided to gift additional 100k doses of the Chinese made Sinopharm vaccine to the Maldives on top of the 100k doses promised prior. The decision stands as a testament to China’s commitment to making the vaccine a global public good.

The Sinopharm vaccine is developed by a Chinese state-owned company of the same name. It is an inactivated vaccine that works by using killed viral particles to expose the body's immune system to the virus without risking a serious disease response. According to Sinopharm, phase three trials of the vaccine showed that it was 79% effective whereas it has already been administered to nearly a million people in China under an emergency program. Furthermore, Sinopharm has been approved by United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.

Nevertheless, the vaccine will only be administered in the Maldives after relevant investigations and the green light by the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA).

From the 100k doses promised prior, Maldives has received 5k doses already.

During the meeting, Minister Shahid thanked the Government of China for their support for the vaccination program the Government of Maldives is undertaking. 

(Photo: Chinese Ambassador)