The delivery of a single consignment of Pfizer vaccines was delayed by two days earlier this week, leading some patient appointments to be moved by a few days, Times of Malta can confirm. 

A number of elderly people were turned away from clinics on Tuesday and Wednesday, with healthcare workers telling them to return at the end of the week. They were told their doses were not available but were given no additional information. 

When contacted, a health ministry spokesperson told Times of Malta that one consignment of Pfizer vaccines was delayed by two days, arriving on the island on Wednesday instead of Monday. 

“Some patient appointments were moved from Tuesday or Wednesday to Thursday or Friday of this week,” the spokesperson said. 

She did not say what had caused the delay and how many people were impacted. 

Sources who spoke to Times of Malta said Pfizer doses were available on Thursday and were administered throughout the day. 

The delay occurred as the European Medicines Authority (EMA) said that blood clots should be listed as a "very rare" side effect of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine but that the jab's benefits continue to outweigh the risks.

Despite this update, the Maltese health authorities are continuing with their plan of administering the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to anyone under 70. 

According to Health Minister Chris Fearne, Malta has enough Pfizer and Moderna doses to vaccinate the entire population though the authorities have yet to confirm the number of doses that have been shipped to the island so far. 
 
Since the vaccine roll out kicked off in December, over 227,000 doses have been given out, with some 63,000 of them being booster jabs.