• Russia has agreed to supply 6.5 million doses
• SL awaiting the delivery schedule from Russia
• SPC yet to get emergency use authorization license over Sinopharm

By JAMILA HUSAIN

Russia has agreed to provide its Sputnik V anti COVID-19 vaccine to Sri Lanka at US9.95 dollars per dose and a purchase order for 6.5 million vaccines will be made soon, the Daily Mirror learns.

A special vaccination price negotiating committee, appointed by cabinet concluded negotiations with Russia's Gamaleya Research Institute and Sri Lanka has agreed to purchase the vaccine at $9.95 per dose, with each individual requiring two doses, similar to the Astra Zeneca vaccination.

The State Pharmaceutical Corporation has been informed of the price and the SPC has informed Gamaleya that it wanted to place an order for 6.5 million doses.

• If they are giving us the final 500,000 doses next year then it will not be worth

While Gamaleya has agreed to provide the required quantity, the SPC is awaiting the delivery schedule from Russia as the doses will be sent in quantities of 500,000 over the months.

"If they are giving us the final 500,000 doses next year then it will not be worth for us so we are awaiting their delivery schedule and only after that we will decide how much we are purchasing from them," an official from the SPC said.

Meanwhile the SPC, while being conveyed verbally that China's Sinopharm vaccine has been approved under emergency use in Sri Lanka, is still awaiting the emergency use authorization license from the National Medicines Regulatory Authority.

Officials said without the said license issued to the SPC, the Pharmaceutical Corporation is unable to negotiate the matter further with the Chinese authorities.