-
With all vaccines including Covid vaccines, protection declines with time
-
Focus at present in SL is on two-dose vaccination for 60% of the population
-
Ensuring required quantities of vaccines for first and second doses priority
-
President urges ordering of stocks if third dose booster necessary
Islandwide vaccination programme At present, vaccines are being administered in the Gampaha, Kalutara, and Colombo Districts of the Western Province; the Galle and Matara Districts from the Southern Province; the Kandy District from the Central Province; and the Kurunegala District from the North Western Province. However, vaccine rollouts began across 12 more districts in the country, from Tuesday (8). People in the Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, Hambantota, Trincomalee, Badulla, Anuradhapura, Puttalam, Ampara, Batticaloa, Monaragala, and Polonnaruwa Districts would be administered the China-made Sinopharm vaccine, The Sunday Morning learnt.
Any changes to the priority lists? According to Ministry of Health Deputy Director General (Education and Research) Dr. Hemantha Herath, while there haven’t been any significant changes made to the priority list, those who are above the age of 60 are still considered to be the main priority. Whilst healthcare workers along with public workers above that age limit also fall under the same category. “If we had enough vaccines available to immunise the entire population, we would have done it without any complication; we could have given it to everybody above 30. “Unfortunately, now that we are getting vaccines in small quantities, we have to prioritise; that is, from time to time, we have to categorise and say that these are the priority groups, depending on the situation and the requirement.” Furthermore, the first Covid-19 vaccination rollout for expectant mothers took place on Wednesday (9), by the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) Office in Piliyandala, and across several other districts in the country, to prevent any major complications expectant mothers may face due to Covid infection. Speaking on the vaccine rollout for expectant mothers, Dr. Herath said: “We do not recommend those who are having an early pregnancy to be vaccinated. However, there can be certain other contraindications which may prevent expectant mothers from getting the vaccine. If contraindications or any other complications are not there, expectant mothers are eligible to get the vaccine, and they are also considered a priority group.”