First Batch Of Vaccine Doses Procured From Serum Institute of India Have Arrived Home Today!

Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Government of Maldives had sealed a deal with Serum Institute of India to purchase 300k doses of the COVISHEILD Vaccine from them.

Today, the first batch from of the procures vaccine doses – being 100k vaccine doses, have arrived in the Maldives.

The Maldives began its vaccination drive on 1^st February with Oxford AstraZeneca's vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India, which is traded under the name COVISHEILD. Maldives have procured 512,000 of the said vaccine – 200k received previously as a donation from the Government of India and 12,000 received from the COVAX facility. A direct agreement was also made with Oxford AstraZeneca's for the purchase of 700k doses of the vaccine as well – which the country had yet to receive.

This is an intra-muscular injection whereas two-doses must be administered in between a gap of 4 to 12 weeks. The vaccine shows an efficiency between 90% to 62% and has been approved for emergency use by the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA).

The vaccines procured shall be used in the inoculation of the second dose for the first batch of people who got vaccinated in the country.