brand logo

Picky folk told not to wait for ‘western’ vaccines

23 Aug 2021

  • Health Min. asks public not to stay unvaccinated
BY Buddhika Samaraweera Amidst reports of individuals not obtaining other Covid-19 vaccines due to their intention of getting vaccines like Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, manufactured in Europe and the US, the Health Ministry has requested the public to obtain any Covid-19 vaccine that is available in their area of residence and not to fear any vaccine. Speaking to The Morning, Health Ministry Communications Director, Public Health Services Deputy Director General, and Disaster Preparedness and Response Division Head Dr. Hemantha Herath yesterday (23) said that all Covid-19 vaccines being administered in the country have been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA). “Therefore, no vaccine is special and all vaccines provide protection against Covid-19. There is nothing stated to the effect that only a particular vaccine should be administered in a specific area. A vaccine which does not provide protection against the virus would never be given. Given the prevailing situation, no one should wait for a particular vaccine," he said. Sri Lanka is currently administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Sputnik V, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Moderna vaccines against Covid-19, and according to Epidemiology Unit data, Sri Lanka has, as of 8.30 p.m. on 22 August, administered a total of 17,761,535 doses of Covid-19 vaccines including 13,999,505 doses of Sinopharm, 2,203,514 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca, 173,661 doses of Sputnik V, 357,748 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, and 1,027,107 doses of Moderna Covid-19 vaccines.  


More News..