As the European Medicines Authority approved the Modern Vaccine today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne gave an account of how the roll-out of the vaccine will be distributed. -Covid-19.
The Deputy Prime Minister explained that Malta has ordered 670,000 vaccines from Pfizer Biontech and 100,000 vaccines from Moderna, for a total of 770,000 vaccines from these two companies which are the only two approved by the EMA so far.
“Our plan is to give all the vaccine we are receiving. This is after each person receives the first dose then the second dose is to be used three weeks later. By the end of January, 32,000 doses will have arrived in Malta from Pfizer. This means that by the end of January 16,000 people will have been given the first dose of the vaccine and 5,000 people will also have been given the second dose so that, by the end of January, 21,000 doses will have been given. said the Deputy Prime Minister.
By the end of this week, 4,000 doses will have been given, 8,000 doses by the following week and we will reach 21,000 doses by the end of January.
The Deputy Prime Minister also gave an account of what will be happening with the vaccine during the year if one takes into account that we only have the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, where by the end of March they have been given 95,000 doses, by the end of June 290,000 will have been given, by the end of September 500,000 doses will have been given, while by the end of the year 770,000 doses will have been given.
By the end of May, all frontliners, all those living in institutions, including nursing homes, and all those who are vulnerable will be vaccinated.
The Deputy Prime Minister also spoke about the increase in Covid-19 cases reported in recent days. “We are investigating what led to this increase which could be caused by three main factors; that during the holidays people mingled more with each other and did not stick only to those who lived with them, that Covid-19 is a seasonal disease and therefore spread more when the temperature cools or the variant of England ” , said the Deputy Prime Minister.
The news conference was also addressed by Karl Farrugia, CEO of CPSU who was instrumental in ensuring Malta got the vaccine like the rest of Europe, and by the Superintendent of Public Health, Professor Charmaine Gauci.
