Lanka in touch with US for AstraZeneca vaccines

• US Embassy says it remains in continual contact with government on Covid-19 assistance  

By Kelum Bandara

Sri Lanka has contacted the US authorities to secure a dispatch of AstraZeneca vaccines required for rollout in the country, a Minister said yesterday. 

State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana told reporters earlier that Sri Lanka needed a stock of such vaccines, particularly for the administration of second doses.
He said the Sri Lankan authorities approached the US to get doses of AstraZeneca vaccines.

Asked for a comment in this regard, US Embassy spokesman Nancy VanHorn said the embassy remained in continual contact with the government about US assistance to Sri Lanka in its fight against COVID, including requests regarding vaccines.  

She said this assistance had already provided PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), test kits and 200 ventilators, as part of a commitment of more than $7 million. 

 “This is in addition to vaccine assistance via COVAX, which will provide 8 million vaccine doses to Sri Lanka - 264,000 of which were delivered in March, with an additional 1.4 million scheduled for June,” she said.

• This assistance had already provided PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), test kits and 200 ventilators, as part of a commitment of more than $7 million