The government today launched a new vaccine on the National Vaccination Schedule, which will be available as from Monday, free of charge, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health said.

Speaking at a press conference, Chris Fearne said this vaccine, against immunococcus (also known as Prevenar), will be available to all babies starting at eight weeks.

Parents of babies born after 1 April will be contacted by the health authorities to give their offspring the first dose at eight weeks. A second dose will be given after three to four months while the third dose will be administered after one year.

This vaccine, which costs around 200 euros, will now be available for free and is the 13th free vaccination to be provided by the government.

The vaccine works against certain conditions, including pulmonary diseases such as pneumonia, as well as infections in the ears and brain.

This vaccine will be given by appointment which will be sent to parents in the coming weeks.

Fearne said that last year, 51,000 vaccinations were administered, which results in 98% of the target population having been vaccinated. This puts Malta at the top of the list of countries, in terms of the number of people vaccinated.

Vaccinations are essential to prevent several infectious diseases, Fearne explained. He appealed to the public to take the influenza vaccine when it will be made available, in October, which is already provided free of charge for everyone, since this year, Coronavirus is present, which together with influenza can put a strain on the health system.

Speaking about the Coronavirus vaccine, he said when, and if, it will be available, the government will also provide it, free of charge. Research is still ongoing for this vaccine and he hopes that a vaccine is found.

Fearne said that being optimistic a vaccine for the Coronavirus can be available in six months but it could also take as long as a year.

When the vaccine is available, the government will buy enough for everyone in the country, Fearne noted. In the first few days, the front liners and the vulnerable will be vaccinated and then it will be made available for the general public.

Asked by this newsroom if the Coronavirus vaccine will be obligatory, Fearne that not enough details are yet available about the vaccine to confirm if it will be obligatory.

However, he said that whilst the influenza vaccine is not yet obligatory, discussions are underway to perhaps make it obligatory. This will be seen after the summer when in winter there will be both the Coronavirus and the influenza virus.

In Malta and Gozo, due to the COVID-19, over the past few months, there has been a reduction in vaccinations of 25%, with some vaccines even going down by 50%. “This is worrying because, despite these diseases not being heard of for a long time, they are still in the community,” Fearne said.

The reasons for the decline is because private general practitioners and paediatricians, due to the Coronavirus, were seeing fewer patients. The government also reduced vaccinations to only three health centres.

Coronavirus is now under control and from Monday, all health centres will be offering vaccinations again.

Should anyone have missed their vaccination appointment, a new appointment will not be  sent but the are asked to call on the number +356 2560966. The waiting list for vaccines is not long, it was noted.

Fielding questions from journalists, Fearne said that the government will be looking into the prices of masks, so as there are no exaggerated prices. He also said that it was verified, over the past few weeks, that there are, or there will be, enough supply of masks for the local demand.

A visor and mask are advisable but a visor or mask alone is sufficient. All clients entering all open shops and using public transport, must wear a mask or visor, to reduce the transmission of the Coronavirus.

Last year, Malta saw a dip in the number of MMR vaccinations but it was not to the same extent as other countries, were three years ago epidemics resulted, and even deaths.

A local campaign was carried out, informing the public that the MMR vaccine and autism are not related, and today the last figures available, before COVID-19, show an uptake of 96% of the MMR vaccination.