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Jabs for children with comorbidities from 21 September

13 Sep 2021

  • College of Paediatricians says date to be approved by DGHS
  • O/L, A/L students in 2nd phase
  • Children above 12 in final stage
By Pamodi Waravita The Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians (SLCP) yesterday (12) told The Morning that roughly 30,000 children over the age of 12 years who have comorbidities will be given a Covid-19 vaccine, tentatively from 21 September. A spokesperson for the SLCP said that the date is still tentative as the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Asela Gunawardena has yet to confirm it. However, he added that the vaccination process for children has been planned for three stages. “All children over the age of 12 years and having comorbidities will be prioritised (in the first phase). Children over the age of 15 years and sitting for their Ordinary Level (O/L) and Advanced Level (A/L) exams will be vaccinated in the second phase. Finally, all children over the age of 12 years will be vaccinated,” the spokesperson said. SLCP member pediatrician Dr. R.M. Surantha Perera, speaking to the media yesterday, appealed to all parents who have children with comorbidities to ensure that their children get vaccinated as soon as the vaccine is available for them. He added that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were the vaccines of choice in the West for children, out of which the Pfizer vaccine was considered popular. Thus, in Sri Lanka, children above the age of 12 years will be receiving the US-manufactured Pfizer vaccine. Although schools in the country were due to reopen last month, it was delayed due to the rapid spread of the Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus. In a recently conducted study, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) found that in Sri Lanka, 69% of parents of primary school children said that their children were learning “less” or “a lot less” due to the pandemic. The study has further found that girls, children from the most disadvantaged households, and children with disabilities encounter the biggest challenges when attempting to learn remotely. The Health Promotion Bureau (HPB) said that 2, 802 new cases and 157 new deaths were reported on 11 September due to the virus. According to official data, as of 12 September, 92% of the total population over the age of 30 years have been fully vaccinated (two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine), while 59% of the population between the ages of 20 and 30 years have received one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.


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