To get vaccinated in Mauritius or not to get vaccinated in Mauritius?

No more restrictions on vaccination. Frontliners or not, elderly or not, comorbidities or not, all residents of Mauritius can now be vaccinated.

Where can I get vaccinated?

Centers have been set up across the island so that everyone can be vaccinated without having to travel too far from home. Here is the list of vaccination centers:

Swami Vivekananda International Convention Center, Straws

Taher Bagh Hall, Port Louis

MFD Conference Center, Freeport, Red Sea

Anjalay Stadium, Mapou

Rivière du Rempart Youth Center

Polytechnic School, Flacq

Cote d´Or National Sports Complex

Hua Lien Center, Quatre Bornes

Rivière des Anguilles Village Hall

SSR Airport

James Burty David Gymnasium, Curepipe

Pandit Sahadeo Sports Complex, Vacoas

Plaza, Rose Hill

Germain Comarmond Stadium, Bambous

What vaccines are provided?

At the moment, Covaxin is being used for the vaccination campaign. The vaccine was developed by Bharat Biotech in India.

This weekend, however, Mauritius secured a shipment of 24,000 AstraZeneca vaccines but no information is available yet for them this shot will be in use.

What do expatriates think about vaccination in Mauritius?

From the outset, many expats on the Expat.com forum are skeptical about the vaccine. “Why should we get vaccinated if we are young? The risk benefit ratio is perhaps interesting for the elderly but not for us ”. Aurélie, a Frenchwoman who has been living in Mauritius for four years, does not plan to get vaccinated even if she fears that the vaccine will be made compulsory for travel later on. Another expat, Greg says he relies on his immune system and “the Mauritius sun to stay healthy”.

For others, however, it is the shot currently available which is an issue. For the past two weeks, Covaxin has been used in Mauritius. Covaxin was, in fact, one of the last vaccines to be stripped of the “clinical trial” label on March 11, but expats do not seem to be in favor of its commercialization. "I want to get vaccinated but not with what we are being offered here today," said Thierry, who has lived in Mauritius for 10 years. For others still, it's the contraindications that scare you, like Jhas who, being diabetic, is still hesitant to get vaccinated.

Still others do not really seem to see any issue with getting vaccinated or doing so in Mauritius. Like this newcomer to the island who would rather see the hysteria continue. “0.15% mortality worldwide, the vast majority in those over 80 with co-morbidities and the rest in people at risk with clearly identified pathologies!”