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Ministry-level talks begin over Pfizer for A/L students

21 Sep 2021

  • Advisory Committee to make final recommendation: DGHS
By Buddhika Samaraweera Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has stated that discussions have commenced between the Education Ministry and the Health Ministry regarding the provision of the German/US-made Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to students who are scheduled to sit for the General Certificate of Examination (GCE) Advanced Level (A/L) examination. Speaking in Parliament yesterday (21), Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Patali Champika Ranawaka requested Minister Gunawardena to consider the provision of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for students who are scheduled to sit for the A/L examination. “There is a request that A/L students be given the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Therefore, I request you to administer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to students and to hold the A/L examination after covering the syllabus,” he added. In response, Gunawardena stated that the Education and Health Ministries have now begun discussions regarding a programme to provide the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to A/L students. “President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has already issued an order in this regard. Accordingly, the Education and Health Ministries have commenced discussions regarding the formulation of a programme to provide the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to A/L students,” he said. Meanwhile, it was recently reported that a committee has been appointed to look into the administration of Covid-19 vaccines to schoolchildren and that the Health Ministry would take a final decision regarding the matter based on the said committee’s report. State Minister of Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana said that the relevant committee had been appointed following lengthy discussions and various views expressed regarding the vaccination of children. “Once we receive the committee’s report, we will be able to decide as to which students of which class should be vaccinated and when they should be vaccinated,” he added.  He also said that it has been suggested that Covid-19 vaccines should be given to students studying in the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) and A/L classes. Attempts to contact Prof. Jayasumana to inquire into the latest developments of the said committee were not successful. However, speaking to The Morning, Health Ministry Communications Director, Public Health Services Deputy Director General (DDG), and Disaster Preparedness and Response Division Head Dr. Hemantha Herath said that a final recommendation in this regard should be made by the Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases (ACCD) under the Health Ministry. “The final decision in this regard should be made by the ACCD. They are reviewing it and they have still not given a final recommendation, but once the data is available, the ACCD will give a recommendation,” he added.  


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