Spokesperson of the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC), Dr. Fathimath Nazla Rafeeq has said the first people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine are the frontline workers and the people above the age of 80.

Speaking at the HEOC press conference today on the national vaccination program, Dr. Nazla, who is also on the committee researching the side effects of the vaccines, said that the priority in vaccination would be to save lives.

And so, the first people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine would be those who are directly and indirectly helping the ill and those that are at a high risk for the illness.

She said that since the Maldives has joined the COVAX initiative, the country will be receiving free COVID-19 vaccine for 20 percent of the population which would be going to the frontline health and social care workers along with those that could be most critical if affected by COVID-19.