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Receiving Covid-19 vaccine: Prez and PM in 3rd list 

17 Jan 2021

  • Jab expected before mid-February 

  • Administered at govt. hospitals 

  President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will be among those who receive the Covid-19 vaccine at the third stage of the Government's inoculation programme. Frontline healthcare workers will be vaccinated in the first phase, followed by security forces personnel also at the forefront of the battle against Covid-19, while those above the age of 60 will be given the vaccine during the third phase.   Speaking to The Sunday Morning about the latest on the national plan on the Covid-19 vaccination programme, Covid-19 Vaccine Committee Chairman and Senior Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga noted that local political and sociocultural ground realities had been factored in making the aforementioned decision to not place the President and the Premier at the very top of the priority list in terms of those who receive the vaccine.  “Political leaders including the leaders of the Philippines and Indonesia were given the vaccine first to boost confidence in the people. However, if we do that here, people will say that the ruling family got the vaccine first without giving it to the people, while if the people are given it first, they will say that the people have been used as test subjects. Therefore, the President and the Prime Minister will get the vaccine when the population over 60 gets it at the third round,” he said.  Meanwhile, the type of Covid-19 vaccine that will be administered to Sri Lanka depends on availability and the results of clinical trials while the first lot of vaccines required by the country will be received before mid-February, Covid-19 Vaccine Committee Chairman and Senior Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga told The Sunday Morning. He said that it is likely that India will give a quota of vaccines to friendly countries after 26 January – the Republic Day of India. “We cannot give an exact date. At the moment, we can’t even purchase. The Serum Institute of India will provide the vaccine to the Government of India and it is from the Indian Government that we can purchase,” he said. When queried as to whether Sri Lanka will get the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, Weeratunga said: “We can’t say that. We see that the AstraZeneva vaccine is available but India also starts its vaccine programme from 23 January. Only then can we decide. We can’t get it on the day we want. They have to say, ‘okay! We have set this part aside for you’.” He further said that the type of vaccine will depend on availability, the results of clinical trials, and where the vaccines are being manufactured. “There is heavy competition among all countries to get hold of vaccines. Based on our goodwill and bilateral relationships, we will get a part of the vaccines required for free, but we are even ready to buy. There is no issue with funds. The Government has allocated funds and made arrangements and there is no issue in that aspect,” he said. He also said that the regulatory authority which is the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), should approve the vaccine. “We have to do the registration. The State Pharmaceuticals Corporation that gets down the vaccine has to get ready. Many such requirements have to be met. Those arrangements are being made now and we are working to meet certain deadlines,” he said. Commenting further on the preparatory work that’s being done in this regard at present, Weeratunga said that the Health Ministry was finalising the National Vaccination Development Plan. He said that they have identified the groups of people that needed to be given the vaccine at the first phase, at how many centres, and the related safety measures that are needed to be taken, especially if there are any adverse reactions to the vaccine. “First to get the vaccine will be the frontline health workers, next the frontline personnel of the armed forces, and then the population over 60 years of age. This will cover about four million people,” he said, adding that the vaccines will be given at government hospitals. Meanwhile, State Minister of Primary Healthcare, Epidemics, and Covid Disease Control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle also said that the vaccines will be available by mid-February and that they would be administered free of charge at government hospitals. When questioned as to whether the country will purchase the AstraZeneca vaccine from India, she told The Sunday Morning that the AstraZeneca vaccine was the suitable candidate. “It is better, as it can be administered at the periphery easily and it is 90% effective.” Commenting on the vaccines to be given by the World Health Organisation (WHO), she said: “We can't confirm the exact type of vaccine but the indication is that the majority of vaccines from the COVAX Facility will also consist of AstraZeneca and then a part will consist of Pfizer as well.” “We have nurses and midwives to help us and we expect to inoculate 55% of the population,” she said. She further said that a communication campaign is being conducted for healthcare workers and that special training is being provided to them.

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