President issues instructions to procure AstraZeneca vaccines at any price

Instructions to expedite the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine procurement process have been issued by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to Principal Advisor and Presidential Task Force for National Deployment and Vaccination Plan for COVID-19 Head Lalith Weeratunga.

Close to 600,000 persons are due to receive the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, having received the first dose of the vaccine between 29 January and 22 April. It has been reported that instructions have been given to secure the sufficient doses at any price.

The country received a total of 1,264,000 doses of AstraZeneca this year, of which 500,000 was purchased from the Serum Institute of India (SII), 500,000 was donated by the Government of India and 264,000 was received through the COVAX facility.

While questions have been raised about the Government’s decision to vaccinate more than 632,000 persons, leaving sufficient doses to administer the second dose to vaccinated individuals, health sector officials have explained that the decision to administer the first dose to 925,242 persons was made as the order for an additional one million doses of the vaccine was assured by the SII.

However, due to the COVID-19 situation in India and globally, the SII has been unable to export AstraZeneca vaccines, causing shortages in several countries, including Sri Lanka. Vaccine shortages have also impacted vaccine supply through the COVAX facility, which had assured Sri Lanka 1,440,000 doses by May and sufficient doses to vaccinate 20% of the country’s population by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, discussions were yesterday held between the Justice Ministry and the Pharmaceutical Production, Supply and Regulation State Ministry on the legal status of COVID-19 vaccine production in Sri Lanka as well as the feasibility of manufacturing seven million doses by September.

According to a statement issued by the Justice Ministry, Justice Minister Ali Sabry and Pharmaceutical Production, Supply and Regulation State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana met yesterday to discuss the matter.

At the discussion, officers attached to the Attorney General’s Department, Legal Draftsman’s Department and the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation exchanged ideas on the legal contracts required for vaccine production.

The feasibility of manufacturing six million doses by August and seven million doses by September was discussed by Sabry and Prof. Jayasumana. If this is made possible, a significant percentage of the population will be vaccinated by the end of September with the use of imported vaccines and locally manufactured vaccines.

The Government is determined to vaccinate 60% of the country’s population by the end of the year and has administered the first dose to 1,691,562 persons and the second dose to 349,745 persons.

The vaccinated population includes 2,865 Chinese nationals working in Sri Lanka who received the first dose of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine and 2,435 Chinese nationals working in Sri Lanka who received the second dose of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine.

The first dose of the Sinopharm vaccine has been administered to 739,499 persons in total, including 72,887 persons who received the vaccine on Monday.

The first dose of AstraZeneca has been administered to 925,242 persons and the second dose has been administered to 347,310 persons. According to the Epidemiology Unit, 1,521 persons received the second dose of AstraZeneca on Monday.

The first dose of Sputnik V has been administered to 26,821 persons, including 10,157 persons who received the vaccine on Monday.

According to Prof. Jayasumana, Sputnik Vaccine Developer Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology – Russia has informed of the possibility of issuing a recommendation of only the first dose of the Sputnik V vaccine following further studies.

“Their researchers now say the effectiveness of only the first dose of the vaccine is satisfactory as per studies. Taking this into account, the Russian vaccine manufacturer has introduced Sputnik Light, which consists of the first dose of the Sputnik V vaccine,” Prof. Jayasumana said.