Following news that Malta is set to achieve herd immunity in the coming weeks, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne confirmed that in a week’s time on 19th May, this milestone will be reached. Herd immunity will be calculated around the point when 70% of the whole country will be vaccinated by at least one dose. With over-16s being able to apply for the jab next week, the vaccine rollout has officially administered 392,929 doses, of which 268,118 are first doses.

Herd immunity is achieved once the majority of a population becomes immune to an infectious disease and provides an indirect protection to those who are immune. This makes vaccination crucial as it mitigates the spread of the virus to a great extent and, along with health measures in place, authorities encourage everyone to take the opportunity to get vaccinated.

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Photo Source: Chris Fearne FB, LandLoopers

Addressing a press conference on the advent on International Nurses Day, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne took the opportunity to congratulate all healthcare workers who have worked tirelessly for over a year to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Fearne stated that the pandemic made us realise how important our health is and how dependent on those working in the health sector we are when it comes to livelihood.

The Minister also took the opportunity to encourage youth to seek a career in healthcare, nursing and midwifery as it is not only a rewarding career but also one that it desperately needed by both Malta and the rest of the world, especially in such times of health crises. Fearne added that Malta is aiming to add around 300 more healthcare workers by the end of 2021.

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Photo Source: Chris Fearne FB, Anna Shvets