Over 5,200 frontline workers get vaccine on 1st day

• Vaccination of frontline workers commences in 8 hospitals and 2 camps 
• Immunisation program to be expanded countrywide today
• Enthusiastic participation from employees, no side effects to date 
• First batch of vaccines will target 250,000 frontline workers attached to health, military and police units
• Vaccination campaign commenced earlier than planned: State Minister Dr. Fernandopulle
• 65% of population expected to be vaccinated by year end

By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya

The Government vaccinated over 5,200 frontline and healthcare workers yesterday at eight hospitals and two camps as it rolled out the first round of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine targeting 250,000 people, including the Tri-Forces and Police. 

The Epidemiology Unit said that 5,286 people were vaccinated in total, which included 1,886 staff of the National Hospital, 803 at the Colombo North Teaching Hospital, 600 at the Army Hospital, 382 at Lady Ridgeway, and 80 at the IDH. A total of 400 people were also immunised at the Panagoda Army Camp and 56 at the Welisara Navy Camp. 

The immunisation program is expected to be expanded around the country today. The unit also said all healthcare and other workers participated enthusiastically in the vaccination program and no side effects have been reported to date. 

The first three vaccines were received by military personnel at the Colombo Army Hospital, while Infectious Diseases (IDH) Hospital Director Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama was the first to receive the COVID vaccine at IDH. At Colombo North Teaching Hospital, the first vaccine was administered to Hospital Director Dr. S.P.A. Liyanage Ranaweera.

Healthcare professionals attached to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Homagama Base Hospital, Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, and the Air Force Hospital in Colombo also received the vaccine yesterday.

According to a statement issued by the National Operations Centre for the Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), vaccination of frontline health force of the Sri Lanka Army will be carried out in 15 military hospitals across the island.

During the vaccination program held at IDH yesterday, Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle said: “By [today], hospitals and MOH officers across the island will commence vaccination of health workers as well as military and Police personnel.”

She went on to say that this was a milestone in the control of COVID-19, not only in Sri Lanka but throughout the world where vaccination programs are being initiated in most of the countries.

“We are privileged to initiate the campaign ahead of our schedule. We had initially planned to commence vaccination towards mid-February or the early part of March, but the cordial relations between India and Sri Lanka have enabled us to start ahead of schedule,” Dr. Fernandopulle went on to say.

The country received 500,000 doses of the Covishield vaccine as a donation from the Government of India on Thursday. The consignment arrived in a special Air India flight and was handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Bandaranaike International Airport by High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay.

Baglay was present at IDH yesterday and said Sri Lanka can once again reopen to the world with the use of the vaccination. “It is a pandemic. It was all over the world in no time and no country, no matter how strong its resources or how capable its scientific and medical force, could fight this disease on its own,” he said, highlighting the importance of international cooperation.

“Prime Minister Modi’s policy is neighbourhood first; and even within neighbours, I am very happy to say Sri Lanka occupies a very, very special place in the heart of India, in the hearts of Indians, and I was very moved to see that the President [Rajapaksa] himself was at the airport to receive the consignment,” Baglay said, adding that this spoke volumes about President Rajapaksa’s priority for people’s health and the high significance the Government and President Rajapaksa’s leadership attaches to relations with India.

Meanwhile, Senior Advisor to the President and Head of the Presidential Task Force for Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 vaccination drive Lalith Weeratunga said the event signified the beginning of a campaign to fight an unseen enemy. He said this called for celebration, but added: “Our task is not over. We are yet to do many things.”

“We only hope by the end of the year, we would be able to vaccinate at least 65% of the population – which we have targeted – and everyone’s effort as a team would be so crucial,” he went on to say.

At a press briefing held on 27 January, Weeratunga said the State Pharmaceutical Cooperation will place an order with India’s Serum Institute for the procurement of 3 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccinations currently being administered in the country were also manufactured by the Serum Institute.

In addition to this, Sri Lanka is expecting sufficient doses for 20% of the population via the COVAX facility. Weeratunga also shared that the Government of China has made an offer for 300,000 doses of the Sinopharm COVID vaccine, while a request has been made to the Government of Russia regarding the Sputnik V vaccine.

However, only the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has received approval from the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) for use in emergency situations in Sri Lanka.