• Sri Lanka had made a payment for 1.5 mn doses of the COVISHIELD vaccine
• The first consignment of 500,000 vaccines was donated to Sri Lanka
• This export permit is only given to the countries endorsed by the Government of India

By Sheain Fernandopulle   

The second consignment of 500,000 of doses of Oxford- Astra Zeneca COVISHIELD vaccines from Serum Institute of India is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka within the next two weeks.   

This was revealed by Principal Advisor to the President and the Chief of the Presidential Task Force on the Procurement of Covid-19 Vaccine- Lalith Weeratunga yesterday.   
Speaking at a public forum, he said that Sri Lanka had made a payment for 1.5 million doses of the COVISHIELD vaccine.   

“The first consignment of 500,000 vaccines was donated to Sri Lanka which arrived in Sri Lanka on January 28. This consignment was donated to Sri Lanka mainly due to the request made by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa,” Mr. Weeratunga said.   

“The vaccines manufactured by the Serum Institute of India cannot be exported haphazardly but it requires an export permit. This export permit is only given to the countries endorsed by the Government of India. We were fortunate to obtain that approval,” he said.   

“According to the information we have received, the second stock of vaccines is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka within two weeks under the intervention of the Government of India,” Mr.Weeratunga added.  

• This consignment was donated to Sri Lanka mainly due to the request made by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa