Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid has stated the donation of the new shipment of COVID-19 vaccine doses from the US will bolster vaccination efforts in the Maldives.
In a tweet, Minister Shahid thanked the US government and Secretary of State Antony Blinken for the donation of 210,600 doses of COVID-19 vaccines on January 28, through the COVAX Facility of the World Health Organisation (WHO). He said the vaccines will bolster the efforts of the Government of the Maldives to provide booster doses for all Maldivians.
The US has delivered a total of 440,000 vaccine doses to the Maldives, with the inclusion of the recent donation. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the US has worked closely with the Maldives to respond to the pandemic, providing over USD 7 million in emergency supplies, training, and critical services, in addition to an in-kind donation of 60 ventilators.
The vaccine deliveries build on the ongoing leadership of the US government on global vaccination efforts as the world's largest donor to COVAX, the global vaccine access initiative. The doses are delivered in coordination with COVAX in partnership with the Maldives government.
Health Protection Agency (HPA) opened the administration of the COVID-19 booster doses to the public on January 15. All individuals above the age of 18 who have reached six months since receiving their second COVID-19 vaccine can receive the booster dose.