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End of May: all front liners, elderly and the vulnerable to be vaccinated
The Health Minister Chris Fearne has given a timeline of how the COVID-19 vaccine programme will be implemented locally. So far, the EU has given authorisation to the Pfizer and BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. The Moderna vaccine was approved today and is expected to start being rolled out by the end of the week!
Currently, Malta has 600,000 doses of the vaccine ordered from Pfizer and another 100,000 doses from Moderna. Both require the person to take two doses of the vaccine 21 and 28 days apart, respectively.
According to Fearne, Malta’s policy was to reserve the second dose once a person is inoculated, in order for the timeframes recommended by the manufacturer to be kept.
Of the 1,400 COVID-19 vaccines that have been administered during the first week, there have been no significant side-effects reported so far. Fearne also mentioned that there was, as yet, no indication of when the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, which are being developed in the UK, will receive approval from the European Medicines Agency.
Without further ado, here is Malta’s COVID-19 vaccine timeline
Disclaimer: this timeline is based on the delivery of Pfizer and BioNTech and Moderna vaccines only. Timeframes can be brought forward when more COVID-19 vaccines are authorised by the EMA.
week 1
1,400 vaccines administered
week 2
4,000 vaccines administered by end of the week
end of january
16,000 should be vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine by the end of the month. By this time, the country should have received 32,000 doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine
end of march
By this point, Malta should have received 95,000 doses of the vaccine
mid-may
Invitations will start being issued to the rest of Malta to get vaccinated. The priority will be given to those aged 55 and over at this point
end of may
By this time, all front liners, those living in institutions and care homes, as well as all vulnerable people should be vaccinated
end of june
Malta should have received 290,000 doses of the vaccine by this point
end of september
Malta should have received 500,000 doses of the vaccine. By this time, authorities are expecting to achieve herd immunity
