Malta’s family doctors and GPs will soon help administer COVID-19 vaccines to the public, Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci confirmed to Lovin Malta.

“As Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne said in Parliament, we’re seeing how everyone can help in the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. We’re looking at model in which family doctors can help with the administration,” Gauci said in her weekly press briefing today.

Nurses and doctors have previously complained that vaccines are being administered too slowly and pushed for faster rollout. Adding GPs and family doctors to the people eligible to vaccinate the community will help speed up the process.

As of today, 33,477 doses have been administered, while 6,457 received the second dose.

Almost all the first cohort, which includes people over 85, the staff at elderly home residents and clinical workers have received the first dose of the COVID-19 jab.

Plans to begin inoculating the second cohort which includes people between 80 and 85 years of age and other front liners like the police will kick off next week. Vulnerable people over 60 will also begin receiving their invitations to get vaccinated in the coming week.

Malta ranks first when it comes to vaccines given per 100 people in the EU, followed by Denmark, Romania, Slovenia and Spain.