Colombo:
Sri Lanka has ordered 13.5 million Oxford AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines in addition to the 500,000 doses gifted by India, and the nation may perhaps not use Chinese vaccines in the second phase of immunisation, a government spokesman mentioned today.
Ramesh Pathirana, who is also the Minister of Plantations, mentioned Sri Lanka is most likely to go only with the AstraZeneca vaccines for the second phase of vaccination as the Chinese and Russian vaccines are not prepared but.
“The Chinese vaccine has not submitted the papers relating to phase 3 trials, mentioned Mr Pathirana.
For the initial round of vaccinations, the government has placed an order for 10 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India at a price of USD 52.5 million and a additional 3.5 million doses straight from AstraZeneca Institute of UK beneath the COVAX programme, the spokesman mentioned.
India gifted 500,000 doses of the exact same vaccine which kicked off Sri Lanka’s vaccine rollout in late January.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa thanked India final month for its generosity following he received 500,000 doses of Covishield vaccine donated by the nation beneath the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
The government will be directed by the ideal healthcare guidance on when the second dose need to be provided, Mr Pathirana mentioned, adding that despite the fact that initially it was believed that the booster jab need to be provided following 4 weeks.
In current weeks, well being authorities have mentioned that delaying the second dose by 3 months could enhance the efficacy of the vaccine.
Last month, India announced it will send COVID-19 vaccines beneath grant help to Sri Lanka and seven other nations – Bhutan, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles, Afghanistan and Mauritius.
India is one of the world’s largest drug-makers and an rising quantity of nations have currently approached it for procuring coronavirus vaccines.
Sri Lanka has recorded more than 80,500 coronavirus situations so far with 450 deaths.
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