Vaccine clusters in the making?

Following President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s special instructions to vaccinate the public in risk areas, the Ministry of Health commenced its public inoculation campaign yesterday at several state health offices. 

President Rajapaksa on Monday instructed officials to vaccinate members of the general public in the Western Province, which is has reported the highest number of Covid-19 positive cases since the virus outbreak last year. 

Accordingly frontline health workers as well as personnel in economic centres including vendors of the Peliyagoda fish market and airport service personnel were innoculated over the past two weeks. The public vaccination programme which commenced yesterday, saw the AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine administered to citizens above 30 years of age.

The vaccination programme in Raddolugama, Gampaha (Pix by Pradeep Pathirana)

While some vaccination centres depicted an orderly procedure of vaccination with adequate social distancing observed, other venues had a less desirable outcome. The remaining vials of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine which were intended to cover the frontline workers, are now being used to inoculate the public.

Daily Mirror journalists observed a smooth procedure of vaccination in Raddolugama, Gampaha on Friday, February 19. However on Saturday, at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) Angoda, attracted large crowds eager to be vaccinated.  While the inoculation programme within the hospital premises were conducted in an orderly fashion, large crowds were gathered outside the hospital forming lengthy queues and failing to observe physical distancing. At least 3000 citizens are expected to be vaccinated at the IDH today, sources said.