Nearly 30% of the Maldives’ vaccination eligible population has not received a single dose of any vaccine offered in the country, according to Dr. Nazla Musthafa of the Technical Advisory Group created to control the outbreak.
According to the Health Protection Agency’s (HPA) new rules, which went into effect in September, unvaccinated persons in the nation are not authorised to enter cafés or restaurants, nor are they permitted to utilise public transportation or ferry services. They will also be unable to fly within the country.
Such people will also be excluded from gyms and salons, and all service providers will be required to guarantee that the guidelines are strictly implemented at their establishments.
In addition, the HPA said that taxi drivers, waiters, and personnel of gyms and salons would be required to get vaccinated to continue offering such services.
Dr. Nazla Mustafa, speaking to a local news source regarding unvaccinated individuals, said getting vaccinated minimises the transmission of the virus throughout the community, adding that completely vaccinated persons may not acquire serious illnesses or exhibit any symptoms, and may not even know they have contracted the virus.
She went on to say that the more than one-year-old COVID-19 vaccine cannot be labelled as a new vaccine, responding to vaccine sceptics’ assertions that the vaccine is new and untested, and that it has been delivered globally, with more than 20 million doses administered.
Even though the vaccination is being administered to pregnant women, Dr. Nazla said that complications during pregnancy, such as preterm birth, have not increased significantly since the vaccine’s introduction.
According to the most current HPA vaccine update, 392,887 individuals have got their first shot, with 344,123 receiving a second dose.
The HPA has also directed that those who have been fully vaccinated for over 6 months and fall into the high-risk group register for a booster dosage.
