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Vaccination to begin in Feb

11 Jan 2021

  • Govt. picks Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine

  By Sumudu Chamara   The Government is planning to begin Covid-19 vaccination in Sri Lanka next month, and attention has been paid to obtaining the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for the initial phase. State Minister of Primary Healthcare, Epidemics, and Covid-19 Disaster Control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle told The Morning yesterday (11) that the Government has already held discussions with the relevant parties with regard to obtaining the vaccine. She said that initially, the vaccine would be made available for health workers engaged in Covid-19 control activities, tri-forces personnel, police officers, and citizens older than 60 years, as they have been identified as priority groups facing a higher risk. According to the Minister, 150,000 health workers and 150,000 defense forces personnel will be vaccinated under the first stage of the vaccination programme. When inquired about the total number of doses of the vaccine Sri Lanka needs, she said that even though Sri Lanka may not receive the required number of doses under the first phase of this programme, the Government has already secured a stock of vaccines and that it will be distributed as Sri Lanka receives it. She further stated that the Government had paid attention to obtaining the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, as it has shown a success rate over 90%, and that India’s Serum Institute is currently manufacturing it. Around 20% of Sri Lanka’s initial vaccine requirement will be covered by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) Covax in the first quarter of this year and the Indian Government would also provide a portion free of charge, she added. According to the Minister, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has already held discussions with the Indian Government in this regard. “We expect that we will receive the first stock of vaccines free of charge,” she said, adding that Sri Lanka is in possession of freezer facilities to store the vaccine. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus, known as an adenovirus, from chimpanzees. It has been modified to look more like coronavirus but cannot cause illness. When the vaccine is injected into a patient, it prompts the immune system to start making antibodies and primes it to attack any coronavirus infection. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine, which was the first in the world to be approved, has to be stored at an extremely cold temperature (-70C), but the Oxford vaccine can be stored in a normal fridge, making it much easier and cheaper to distribute.

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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


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