Malta should acquire its second batch of Covid-19 vaccines four to six months after it receives the first one, Deputy Health Minister Chris Fearne said today.

Last week, Fearne said Malta had signed an agreement which will see it procure some 330,000 doses of the vaccine once it becomes available. It will first be administered to front liners and vulnerable people.

Malta has a population of over 500,000 people.

Speaking during the inauguration of a new health clinic in Fgura, Fearne explained that the vaccine will only become available once it is declared safe by both local and European authorities.

Front liners and vulnerable individuals will be prioritised, he said. “Eventually, we will offer it for free for the rest of the population.”

Asked how long the second batch will take to arrive, Fearne said it would take between four and six months.

Asked about doubts expressed by some individuals about the introduction of the vaccine, the Deputy Prime Minister said the majority of people are looking forward to the day it becomes available.

Fearne was also asked whether an investigation would be launched into the case of a patient who died last week after contracting Covid-19 from Mater Dei Hospital. The health authorities had initially said the man had been admitted to hospital with the virus but the family later said he had tested negative upon admission. The government later acknowledged this version of events.

Fearne said investigations are carried out into all Covid-19-related deaths. “While I am not at liberty to discuss clinical details, I can say that this morning I spoke to the hospital’s clinical director and the authorities are in contact with the relatives to explain the situation.”

The health minister was also asked how safe it is for students aged 3 to 11 to remove their masks in the classroom, and whether it is safe for teachers who are classified a vulnerable to return to school. He said that Malta, like all other EU Member States, recognises the need for students to return to school. The impact of keeping schools closed would be “significant,” he said.

“We are making every effort to assist the education department to safeguard the wellbeing of our students and teachers. The measures announced on Wednesday are being implemented in all other European countries and we are using the best practices being used by other countries.”

Replying to another question, Fearne said the first draft of the sexual health policy should be completed in around six months.

Regarding the new community health clinic in Fgura, Fearne said that this is being done as the government understands the importance of offering health care in a decentralised manner.

He believes that, in this way, Malta’s hospitals will have a lighter workload and have more time to focus on more serious issues that cannot be taken care of within a local clinic.

The clinic consists of different rooms with six different services; a general practitioner, nurse service, podiatry, physiotherapy, speech and language pathology and also mental health services.

Fearne explained that mental health is an important part of the equation and it is also an element in the reform of the Mental Health Strategy 2020-2030 wherein mental health services should be distributed across the Maltese islands in the same place physical help is provided.

He concluded by saying that the end goal for the government will be seeing such clinics in every city and town across Malta and Gozo.