• The programme will commence in  the Western Province, Southern Province, Ampara and Anuradhapura Districts from today onwards
• Those above sixty years will be provided with the Pfizer vaccine  irrespective of whatever the vaccine they had received as the first and  second doses
• The ACCD had given approval to vaccinate with the third dose after three months of obtaining the second dose

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera  

The Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases (ACCD) has given approval to provide the booster dose to those above 60-years of age after three months of the second dose and it would commence from today, State Minister Channa Jayasumana said yesterday.   

He told Parliament that the programme would commence in  the Western Province, Southern Province, Ampara and Anuradhapura Districts from today onwards.  
 “Those above sixty years will be provided with the Pfizer vaccine irrespective of whatever the vaccine they had received as the first and second doses,”  the State Minister said.  
He said it was earlier decided to provide the booster dose after six months of the second dose and added that ACCD had given approval to vaccinate with the third dose after three months of obtaining the second dose.  

He said about 120,405 front-line workers in the health and security forces had been given the booster dose so far.  

The Minister said about 15,883,630 of the population had been provided with the first dose while  13,674,834 of the population had been fully vaccinated by now and added that one million  youths between  the age of 16 and 19 years had been vaccinated by yesterday.

• About 120,405 front-line workers in the health and security forces had been given the booster dose so far