The entire world is currently facing daunting logistical issues with the rolling out of the largest, most complex vaccination programme in history.
COVID-19 vaccination requires a complex set of interlocking management, handling and logistical operations.
The limited supply of the vaccine, as well as the frequently erratic timing of deliveries, significantly impacts the planning, management and efficiency of the roll-out, particularly with respect to the precise timing of the second dose.
The sheer logistics to roll out different vaccines, each with its particular handling protocols as well as different cold chain requirements, reconstitution and dose administration is a very complicated and labour-intensive task.
And, yet, faced with these challenges, we, all together, have faced them and, not to put too fine a point to it, delivered the goods. To date, more than 260,000 doses have been administered with more than 44 per cent of those eligible for the vaccine having had a least their first dose.
Proportionately, this is the fastest rate in all of the European Union.
More than a sterile statistic this means that we are well placed to achieve herd immunity by the end of June and to offer the vaccine to everyone by August.
Malta is adopting a smart, just-in-time roll-out strategy that ensures the best possible throughput and vaccine-brand mix. In turn, this strategy feeds into a flexible and agile approach towards the vaccine administration.
Strategic locations across both Malta and Gozo have been turned into vaccination sites almost overnight.
Multi-disciplinary teams, comprised of medical and non-medical staff, have been specifically trained to deliver this mass and fast-paced vaccination roll-out.
That the pandemic stretched our national health service is true. Yet, to everyone’s credit, it never threatened its integrity- Steve Agius
These teams include members of the disciplinary forces, medical students, active and retired healthcare workers as well as many volunteers.
A very robust and real-time inventory distribution system ensures that enough stock of equipment necessary for vaccination is always on hand.
As of this month, our roll-out has led to these percentages of vaccinated people: more than 87 per cent of vulnerable people; 80 per cent of those aged 60+; around 88 per cent of all healthcare workers; 96 per cent of the elderly in residential homes and more than 2,200 home-bound people.
Our consistent key objective continues to be to retain the current momentum and vaccinate as many people as possible in the shortest possible timeframe.
Having said this, the only certainty is uncertainty and there are many more challenges ahead.
Any scintilla of over-confidence and any lack of caution at this stage can still overturn what has been achieved with such hard work and dedication.
The COVID-19 virus will be defeated only when the last one waves the white flag.
The swift progress of our mass vaccination programme has significantly reduced the number of older people infected with COVID-19 as well as the number of patients in COVID-19 wards and intensive care units (ICUs).
The latter is, in my view, the most significant yet hardly discussed achievement.
That the pandemic stretched our national health service is true. Yet, to everyone’s credit it never threatened its integrity. Had it done so, as it did in certain countries at some junctures, the problem would have been as large, if not larger, than the uncontrolled spread of the virus itself.
The huge team effort and exceptional collaboration between primary care teams and public health units, coupled with limitless energy and a can-do attitude truly captured who we really are.
Faced with one of the biggest health crises in history, Malta, once again, rose to the occasion.
Steve Agius is chief operating officer of Mater Dei Hospital and is responsible for the vaccination programme logistics.