• She admitted the fact that there was a shortage of 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to be given as the second dose

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera  

It will be possible to give the COVID-19 vaccine as a cocktail, based on the results of the research which is in progress to ascertain the possibility of vaccinating the second dose with an alternate  brand of vaccine, State Health Minister Sudarshani Fernandopulle said yesterday. 

She told Parliament that the research in that regard  was still in progress and added that they could not decide on it until the results of the research were released.  

“Research is in progress on the possibility of vaccinating the second dose with another brand of vaccine to those who were vaccinated the first dose with AstraZeneca vaccine. We cannot decide on that. Based on the results of the research, we will be able to give a cocktail in the future,” she said. 

 
She admitted the fact that there was a shortage of 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to be given as the second dose.  

“We have an issue of providing 600,000 doses as the second dose. There is nothing to hide. It is not the issue of the Government. The issue has arisen due to the manufacturer’s inability to supply the demand,” she said.