Covid vaccination temporarily suspended

Fear of shortage of AstraZeneca for second jab : Confirmation awaited from Serum for second stock

2 April 2021 08:33 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 7 Bookmark

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The Government has decided to temporarily suspend the Covid vaccination programme.

State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control Sudarshani Fernandopulle told Daily Mirror the vaccination programme was suspended from Wednesday night.

She said the Covid vaccination programme was temporarily suspended as there was a delay in securing more AstraZeneca vaccines.

The Serum Institute of India recently suspended exports of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

State Minister of Pharmaceutical Production, Supply and Regulation Professor Channa Jayasumana had assured last week that Sri Lanka will receive a stock of AstraZeneca vaccines ordered from the Serum Institute on time.

However, Daily Mirror learns that Sri Lanka has not been able to secure an assurance the next stock of AstraZeneca vaccines will arrive on time.

As a result, the Government has decided to temporarily suspend the vaccination programme in order to ensure the remaining stocks in hand are kept for the second jab, if required.

World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended that the second dose be administered in 12 weeks.

The Government commenced the mass vaccination program on January 29 after receiving the first stock of AstraZeneca vaccines from India.

Sri Lanka has so far vaccinated over 900,000 people using AstraZeneca vaccines obtained from India through the Serum Institute of India and vaccines obtained through the COVAX Facility.

The second dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was to be administered from April 19. (By Easwaran Rutnam )

Comments - 7

Kumar, Lawyer Friday, 02 April 2021 08:55 AM

This is what happens when you trust in the scientific ability of a country that is in reality a specialist only in the “three wheeler” technology.

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Thanuja Friday, 02 April 2021 09:02 AM

Professor Channa is getting notorious for making false statements.

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RoaringCreek Friday, 02 April 2021 09:19 AM

I was expecting this as there was no plan and strategy for the vaccination process. It was piece meal and begging. Now we face the music.

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Karate Expert Friday, 02 April 2021 09:20 AM

Time has come to cut off all ties with India.

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sampath dissanayake Friday, 02 April 2021 11:15 AM

So-called VIPs have already taken the vaccine. Thus, No need to be vaccinated further. Where are these 6.9 Million butterflies?

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Michael Ranasinghe Friday, 02 April 2021 11:20 AM

Jayasumana the false prophet where are you ? Are you going to resign as you assured that the entire country will be vaccinated by June. You are disgrace to the genuine intellectuals of this country .

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Mahesh Friday, 02 April 2021 11:41 AM

Now we already have several types of vaccines in the country. So we should analyse each one using labs and other technologies and make our own vaccines.

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