brand logo

SL to get 600K Covidshield vaccines this week 

27 Jan 2021

  • Inoculation to commence immediately

  By Pamodi Waravita   Approximately 600,000 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine are scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka from India this week, and the vaccination programme will begin the day after the vaccines arrive in the country. Speaking at a Health Promotion Bureau (HPB) media conference held yesterday (26), State Minister of Primary Healthcare, Epidemics, and Covid Disease Control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle said that the AstraZeneca vaccine donations from India would arrive in Sri Lanka this week. “Following the dry run held last weekend, the Ministry of Health is prepared for the vaccination programme. We would initially focus on vaccinating 300,000 frontline health workers and tri-forces personnel in two doses within the course of three weeks,” said Dr. Fernandopulle. However, State Ministry of Primary Healthcare, Epidemics, and Covid Disease Control Secretary Dr. Amal Harsha de Silva said that vaccination is just one weapon in the fight against Covid-19. “Facemasks, hand-washing, and social distancing must still be followed by everyone. We cannot remove our masks yet,” said Dr. de Silva. Speaking to The Morning, State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) General Manager K. Dasanayake said that the Sinopharm vaccine produced in China has also been given to the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) for approval. The Oxford AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine, manufactured in India, was approved for emergency use by the NMRA earlier last week, following which the first consignment has been scheduled to arrive this week.


More News..