Seventy per cent of Malta’s adult population is now fully vaccinated, Health Minister Chris Fearne said today.

This means that they have received two doses of the Pfizer, Astra Zeneca or Moderna vaccines, or the one dose of the Johnson & Johnson.

In a post on Facebook, the minister also said that 81% of the population has received at least one dose.

Malta tops the list of the European countries with most vaccinations. In total, 650,000 jabs have been administered.

On Thursday, The Malta Independent reported that around 7,000 people will be receiving their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine three weeks earlier than planned so that they can get full immunity from the virus sooner.

That comes as concerns over the potential spread of the Indian Delta variant increase.  Studies in the UK found that a single dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine provides some – but much less – protection against the variant, but that the full two-dose course still provides ample immunity.