The Chinese made Sinopharm covid vaccine will be administered on locals from areas other than Colombo and Gampaha Districts in the Western Province provided it receives clearance from the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), it is reported.
According to The Morning, State Minister of Primary Healthcare, Epidemics, and Covid Disease Control Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle has stated that the Government plans to utilise this vaccine to prioritise areas that currently have no vaccination drive.
“We have not prepared plans yet, but if NMRA approval is granted for emergency use, the Sinopharm vaccine would be administered in areas other than the Colombo and Gampaha Districts. However, the vaccine could be administered on Chinese nationals in Sri Lanka because China has issued approval for the vaccine to be administered,” said Dr. Fernandopulle.
NMRA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Kamal Jayasinghe has confirmed that the Chinese vaccine could be administered on Chinese nationals and that the NMRA results of the review of the vaccine for emergency use registration would be issued soon, The Morning reported.
“The relevant documents are currently being reviewed and the results would be issued soon,” he said.
Sri Lanka at present awaits a consignment of 600,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine that is to be donated by the Chinese Government. In addition to the initial offer of 300,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines, the Chinese Government has offered a donation of 300,000 additional doses.
Sri Lanka has only received stocks of Serum Institute's Covishield vaccine, as the country has received one million doses so far directly from India, of which the first 500,000 doses came as a donation, and 264,000 doses came under the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) COVAX facility.
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