COVID-19: 25% of Malta’s population has received at least one dose of the vaccine

As the global race to vaccinate against COVID-19 continues, 25 per cent of Malta’s population has received at least one dose of the vaccine.  

This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne, where he added that one in four adults on the island has received at least one dose of the vaccine.

So far, four vaccines have been approved for use by the European Medicines Agency, with three available for use. Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca are two-dose vaccines in circulation, while the recently approved single dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine is expected to arrive in April.

So far, Malta has administered 150,897 doses as of 22nd March, of which 45,286 are second doses.

Malta’s continued relative speed with its vaccination programme is good news.

Malta’s hospitality industry stakeholders, including the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, have called for the acceleration of Malta’s vaccination program, stating that the achieving of “so-called herd immunity” needs to be reached before “end June 2021”, to allow the industry a chance for an at least partially successful summer period, spurred by tourism.

However, an advisor to the British Government has warned the nation’s citizens that summer holiday’s overseas are “unlikely”, as the Government will not want to encourage citizens to travel to European countries currently experiencing high levels of coronavirus infections.