[WATCH] Charmaine Gauci encourages public to take COVID vaccine as she receives second jab

As she received a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, public health superintendent Charmaine Gauci is encouraging the public to take the vaccine when invited to do so.

"This is a safe and effective vaccine that has passed evaluations from the European Medicines Agency to be put on the market and distributed to all persons in Malta and Gozo," 

"I encourage everyone who was invited to take this vaccine to do so - it's a vaccine that will prevent a lot of sickness around us, will prevent lots of people becoming hospitalised, and prevent a lot of deaths," she said during a short video comment posted to her Facebook.

Gauci stated that it is a safe and effective vaccine that has passed all evaluations from the European Medicines Agency.

"If you were invited to do so, come take this safe and effective vaccine so that we can protect you."

Up until Saturday, over 50,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, of which 15,601 were second doses. The AstraZeneca vaccine started being administered last Friday.

Malta achieved this 50,000 target a full two weeks ahead of the original deadline, as predicted by Chris Fearne during an interview on TVM show Xtra.

He said Malta’s rate of vaccination is the highest and fastest in the EU, a feat in itself considering that two thirds of countries had not even started vaccinations.