COVID-19: Maldives hopes to begin vaccination of children above 5 years

Health Minister Ahmed Naseem states the Maldivian authorities expect to be able to begin administering COVID-19 vaccine to children above the age of five years within the coming one-month period. 

Naseem told Sun last Sunday that the research by Unites States on whether COVID-19 vaccine is safe for children above the age of five years is expected to be concluded by the end of this August.  

Naseem said Maldives will begin vaccinating children above the age of five years based on the results of the research. 

“America is conducting research to see if the vaccine can be administered to children above the age of five years. We expect to begin vaccinating children above the age of five years once we receive the result,” he said. 

Maldives launched a program to vaccinate children between the ages of 12 and 17 years last Sunday. Education Ministry states 40,000 school students will be vaccinated under the program. 

Maldives has launched an ambitious campaign to fully vaccinate 90 percent of the eligible population in the country by the end of this August.  

As of Saturday, 343,901 people have received their first dose and 295,039 people have been fully vaccinated.