Second Dose of Sinopharm Vaccine To Be Administered Following A 4 Week Gap From The First Dose

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. After getting the green light from the Maldives Food and Drug Authority for emergency use on 14^th March, the vaccine is being used in the country’s nationwide vaccination program.

According to a statement made by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) earlier today, for those who have gotten the first dose of the Sinopharm vaccine can get their second dose following a four-week gap from the first dose. 

Whereas Maldives have been gifted two batches of 100k doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from the Government of China, the first batch is being administered as the first dose, the second batch, received last night, will be administered as the second dose after four weeks.

Authorities are also set to commence the inoculation of the second of the COVISHIELD vaccine in April. The second dose of the COVISHIELD vaccine is being administered after an 8-week gap from the first dose.