Sri Lanka yesterday (1) rolled out the third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and this brings hope to those who need more than two doses to strengthen their immunity system to fight Covid-19.
The situation is now different from the situation that existed earlier this year, when the Government commenced the vaccination drive for the public. Even though a certain level of carelessness can be observed among the people, especially among the vaccinated, with regard to adherence to the Covid-19 prevention health guidelines, people are now more aware of the importance of getting vaccinated, and this has resulted in Sri Lanka’s vaccination drive becoming a success. Also, there is now more discourses about the vaccine, compared to the initial era of the vaccination drive.
Another reason why the third dose has become so important is because the majority of Sri Lankans received the Chinese-manufactured Sinopharm and India-manufactured Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccines, about which there are various views regarding their efficacy. While a significant segment of Sri Lankans remain sceptical about these vaccines’ effectiveness, sharing the same view as a number of western countries that have recommended other types of vaccines over the said two types of vaccines, many Sri Lankans are also of the belief that vaccines such as the US-German-made Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are more effective than other types of vaccines. In fact, it is one of the main reasons, if not the only reason, why scores of people violated inter-provincial travel restrictions during the past few months to get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine despite the health authorities advice that any Covid-19 vaccine can protect against Covid-19.
It is true that some people have become complacent after getting the first two doses, and are not planning to go for a third dose. However, we cannot rule out the segment of people who believe in science and are concerned about the gravity of the situation and are therefore willing to get the third dose as a precaution with or without an acceptable need. In this context, while the increased enthusiasm can be beneficial as far as the people’s turnout is concerned, the administration of the third dose could also be more challenging than before due to the same reason.
Due to that reason, this time, the Government should have a proper mechanism to manage the crowd, and not leave any room for the people to break the rules with regard to getting vaccinated and influential figures including politicians to help or encourage the people to break the rules.
Even though there is no question or doubt about the longevity of the effectiveness provided by the vaccines, the third dose, according to medical experts, is not for everyone, at least for the time being. Though the necessity of extra protection has been stressed even by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the WHO has advised countries not to rush this process, due to the very limited supply of the vaccines, which has caused a shortage in some countries. Another reason a hasty rollout of the third dose of the vaccine has not become a priority in the world is due to uncertain, and sometimes conflicting, claims about the manner in which a third dose can increase immunity against Covid-19. However, overall, the global medical community has said that the third dose can be beneficial to those living with various medical conditions including chronic illnesses that make it difficult for their bodies to generate the necessary amount of immunity against the virus. That is why Sri Lanka has prioritised frontline healthcare workers under the first phase of the administration of the third dose.
However, Sri Lanka should not be distracted from the real priority and necessity of this programme. While administering the third dose for those who are genuinely in need of more protection is crucial, administering a third dose for every Sri Lankan including those who are in perfectly good health is neither medically recommended nor economically advisable, in a context where importing the vaccines costs Sri Lanka a massive amount of foreign reserves. Therefore, it is the Government’s duty to listen to the medical community, and import and administer the necessary amount of third doses, without blindly doing so.
The people too have a huge responsibility. They have to remain calm and allow the health authorities to administer the third dose on at-risk groups, and most importantly, refrain from unlawfully getting the vaccines that have been allocated for those who are in need of a third dose to build adequate immunity to protect against the virus. Basically, they have to learn to wait for their turn.
In order to make the people more responsible, the Government has another duty, i.e. educating the public. In a context where academics and independent medical experts and bodies shared more scientific information about the effectiveness of the vaccine than the health authorities, now is a good time for the Government to come forward and share more scientific findings with the people, and thereby prevent the people from unnecessarily scrambling to get the third dose, and successfully administer the third dose.Third dose the charm
01 Nov 2021
Third dose the charm
01 Nov 2021
Sri Lanka yesterday (1) rolled out the third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and this brings hope to those who need more than two doses to strengthen their immunity system to fight Covid-19.
The situation is now different from the situation that existed earlier this year, when the Government commenced the vaccination drive for the public. Even though a certain level of carelessness can be observed among the people, especially among the vaccinated, with regard to adherence to the Covid-19 prevention health guidelines, people are now more aware of the importance of getting vaccinated, and this has resulted in Sri Lanka’s vaccination drive becoming a success. Also, there is now more discourses about the vaccine, compared to the initial era of the vaccination drive.
Another reason why the third dose has become so important is because the majority of Sri Lankans received the Chinese-manufactured Sinopharm and India-manufactured Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccines, about which there are various views regarding their efficacy. While a significant segment of Sri Lankans remain sceptical about these vaccines’ effectiveness, sharing the same view as a number of western countries that have recommended other types of vaccines over the said two types of vaccines, many Sri Lankans are also of the belief that vaccines such as the US-German-made Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are more effective than other types of vaccines. In fact, it is one of the main reasons, if not the only reason, why scores of people violated inter-provincial travel restrictions during the past few months to get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine despite the health authorities advice that any Covid-19 vaccine can protect against Covid-19.
It is true that some people have become complacent after getting the first two doses, and are not planning to go for a third dose. However, we cannot rule out the segment of people who believe in science and are concerned about the gravity of the situation and are therefore willing to get the third dose as a precaution with or without an acceptable need. In this context, while the increased enthusiasm can be beneficial as far as the people’s turnout is concerned, the administration of the third dose could also be more challenging than before due to the same reason.
Due to that reason, this time, the Government should have a proper mechanism to manage the crowd, and not leave any room for the people to break the rules with regard to getting vaccinated and influential figures including politicians to help or encourage the people to break the rules.
Even though there is no question or doubt about the longevity of the effectiveness provided by the vaccines, the third dose, according to medical experts, is not for everyone, at least for the time being. Though the necessity of extra protection has been stressed even by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the WHO has advised countries not to rush this process, due to the very limited supply of the vaccines, which has caused a shortage in some countries. Another reason a hasty rollout of the third dose of the vaccine has not become a priority in the world is due to uncertain, and sometimes conflicting, claims about the manner in which a third dose can increase immunity against Covid-19. However, overall, the global medical community has said that the third dose can be beneficial to those living with various medical conditions including chronic illnesses that make it difficult for their bodies to generate the necessary amount of immunity against the virus. That is why Sri Lanka has prioritised frontline healthcare workers under the first phase of the administration of the third dose.
However, Sri Lanka should not be distracted from the real priority and necessity of this programme. While administering the third dose for those who are genuinely in need of more protection is crucial, administering a third dose for every Sri Lankan including those who are in perfectly good health is neither medically recommended nor economically advisable, in a context where importing the vaccines costs Sri Lanka a massive amount of foreign reserves. Therefore, it is the Government’s duty to listen to the medical community, and import and administer the necessary amount of third doses, without blindly doing so.
The people too have a huge responsibility. They have to remain calm and allow the health authorities to administer the third dose on at-risk groups, and most importantly, refrain from unlawfully getting the vaccines that have been allocated for those who are in need of a third dose to build adequate immunity to protect against the virus. Basically, they have to learn to wait for their turn.
In order to make the people more responsible, the Government has another duty, i.e. educating the public. In a context where academics and independent medical experts and bodies shared more scientific information about the effectiveness of the vaccine than the health authorities, now is a good time for the Government to come forward and share more scientific findings with the people, and thereby prevent the people from unnecessarily scrambling to get the third dose, and successfully administer the third dose.Kapruka
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!