As Malta continues to race ahead in its national objective to inoculate as many people as possible, the next cohort of vaccinations will be arriving a whole three weeks in advance, Health Minister Chris Fearne has now confirmed.

In the coming days, parents and guardians of children with serious chronic illnesses will be receiving their vaccination invitation. This, Fearne explained, will happen since there is as of yet no vaccine which has been approved for use on children under 16 years of age.

Meanwhile, as of tomorrow, people accompanying patients flying for treatment abroad will also be receiving details on their vaccination appointments.

Reiterating that Malta is now three whole weeks ahead of its original plan, Fearne went on to list the next cohort of vaccinations, which will be made up of a number of essential workers.

Between the end of February and the beginning of March, Fearne said, the country will start vaccinating workers in the energy sector, the water industry, postal services and even the transport sector.

Workers in schools – from teachers to other staff – will also be receiving their vaccination appointment letters in this timeframe, Fearne confirmed.

As the tug of war between vaccinations and new infections continues, Fearne also confirmed that Malta now has its first case of the more infectious and potentially sturdier South African variant of COVID-19.

You can watch the Health Minister’s full press conference below: