• While Dr. Pathirana says that the WHO has recommended vaccinating children, Dr. Fernandopulle says that vaccine may pose greater threat on children above 12

By Ajith Siriwardana   

Co-Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Ramesh Pathirana yeaterday contradicted State Minister Sudarshani Fernandopulle’s views on vaccinating children above 12 years of age.  

He said that according to reports, vaccinating children against Covid-19 was more beneficial than its harmful aspects.   

He told the Weekly Cabinet briefing that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had recommended vaccinating children after considering the benefits it has on them when compared to a small number of children reported with myocarditis after vaccination.   

Responding to a question, Minister Pathirana said that selected groups of children were being vaccinated in most of the countries in the world at present.   

He said vaccination of children with co-morbidities began in Sri Lanka on the recommendations of the WHO and the guidelines issued by the Paediatricians in Sri Lanka. 

 
He said the vaccination of children was taking place with the recommendation and close supervision of the Paediatricians and that the vaccination was taking place only in hospitals.   

State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics, and COVID-19 Disease Control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle had said that scientific researches carried out globally had underlined that COVID-19 vaccines may pose greater threat on children above 12 than Corona-virus itself.