Maldives' foreign minister receives Covishield's jab, thanks PM Narendra Modi

Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid received his first jab of the Indian manufactured 'Covishield' vaccine shot on January 31 as the country started a mass inoculation campaign. Taking to official Twitter handle, Shahid expressed gratitude for India’s COVID-19 vaccination shipment and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision that put ‘vaccine nationalism’ far behind and made the vials available for the island nation. “Government of Maldives begins #COVID19 vaccination for all in #Maldives with no discrimination based on nationality,” the Maldivian minister wrote, addressing the government of India and Indian citizens. He then thanked India in his heartfelt post for its ‘generosity’ and for providing the vaccines, as he was inoculated at a healthcare center. Shahid shared the footage of his vaccination, as he said “a big thank you” to the Indian administration for its efforts. 

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Earlier last week, Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih congratulated Narendra Modi and the government for the launch of the COVID-19 vaccine campaign. Ibrahim took to his Twitter handle and hailed the 'landmark program to vaccinate India's population against COVID-19. “congratulations to PM @narendramodi and the Indian government for its landmark program to vaccinate India’s population against COVID-19. I’m highly confident that you’ll be successful in this endeavour and that we are finally seeing an end to the COVID-19 scourge,” the Maldivian leader said in an online post. 

Shipment a ‘generous gift’

India, on January 19 dispatched a consignment of locally manufactured coronavirus vaccines to the Maldives as a friendly gesture to help the neighbouring country eradicate the pandemic. Calling the shipment a ‘generous gift’, the  Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih thanked PM Modi and hailed India for standing  "strong and steadfast" by the Maldives as a friend. Labelling India as the first responder, the leader of the country acknowledged India’s humanitarian assistance.  India commenced the Coronavirus vaccine shipment to the neighbouring countries under the grant assistance program. Thus far, Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, and Seychelles have received the consignment. The first consignment of 1.5 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine 'Covishield' was dispatched to Bhutan as the first country to get the vials. 

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