20 September 2021 08:49 am Views - 111
By Chaturanga Samarawickrama
Due to a belief in a super vaccine, spreading of malicious myths about the effects of vaccination, people between the ages of 20 and 30 decide against getting it, Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) Secretary Dr. Shenal Fernando said yesterday.
He said owing to the above reasons; the country would lose the benefits of vaccination to control the pandemic. “ Sri Lanka will not be able to reach the expected 70% threshold of vaccination,” he stressed.
“Today, the Health Ministry reported that 50% of the population in the country had received both doses of COVID vaccines to date. Therefore, by the beginning of October, 50% of the total population of the country will be fully immunized against COVID,” Dr Fernando said.
The majority of COVID deaths are reported among senior citizens who are above the age of 60 and unvaccinated individuals. Therefore, the GMOA requested the said age group to get their COVID vaccine as soon as possible so that the death rate could be reduced. The commencement of the third priority booster dose for those who received both doses will begin in November following the approval of the National Vaccine Committee on Infectious Diseases, Dr. Fernando added.