Everyone over the age of 60 in Malta has been given at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to data issued by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The data on member states’ progress with vaccination is updated regularly on the EU agency’s Vaccine Tracker platform.
As of Tuesday morning, the tracker showed that Malta had vaccinated all those eligible in three crucial categories – the 80+ group, the 70-79 group and the 60-60 group. The health authorities had started vaccinating the elderly as soon as the first doses were shipped to the island at the end of December.
According to the ECDC data, Malta is the only country to have succeeded in vaccinating all those over 60.
The vaccination drive then went down the different age groups before opening up to all those over 16 in May. Children aged between 12 and 15 started being offered the jab in mid-June.
Meanwhile, on the other age groups, the ECDC data showed that 88.6 per cent of those in their fifties have been vaccinated, while similarly, 83.7 per cent of those aged between 18 and 24.
The lowest uptake has been recorded in the 25 to 49 cohort, with just 68.1 per cent of those eligible being given at least one dose.
Data for the 12 to 15 age group is not available on the ECDC tracker.
Health authorities recently told Times of Malta that at least two-thirds of the eligible children have been administered at least one dose.
Overall, Malta has vaccinated 82.5 per cent of those eligible with at least one dose.
Meanwhile, on Monday, hundreds queued up to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as the first mobile clinic opened its doors.
The encouraging vaccination rates serve as a glimmer of hope amid a spike in the number of new infections detected in recent weeks that has also led to Malta being put back on EU travel red list.
While a country's classification does not have any automatic consequence, the ECDC classifications are used to provide travellers with information about their destination's risk level as well as to inform EU member states' travel restrictions.
The European Commission has previously advised member states to discourage travel to and from 'red' countries.