Thursday Nov 21, 2024
Thursday Nov 21, 2024
Wednesday, 22 September 2021 00:16 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 59,187 persons on Monday and a total of 11,124,145 persons have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to date.
The Epidemiology Unit states that 13,802,944 persons have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
In the over-30 age group, 94.9% have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“We have administered the first dose to 13 million persons, which has increased our vaccination coverage to 63% of the population. Over 50% coverage for both vaccine doses has also been achieved,” Family Health Bureau Director Dr. Chithramali de Silva said at a press briefing held yesterday.
She explained that the vaccination drive in Sri Lanka began with the over-60 population and was then extended to target all persons over the age of 30.
In order to reduce COVID-19 complications as well as mortality among pregnant women, Sri Lanka also began vaccinating this group. According to Dr. de Silva, 90% of Sri Lanka’s pregnant women have been vaccinated.
She explained that over 100,000 pregnant women have been vaccinated and no side effects have been reported thus far. The vaccine recipients are observed until one month after childbirth.
Currently, vaccination of persons aged between 20 and 29 is also taking place.
“During discussions with district directors of health, we observed that youth of certain areas, especially in Western Province, are vaccine hesitant, especially those in the 20 to 30 age group,” Dr. de Silva said, adding that this group has higher risk behaviour and are thus more likely to contract the virus.
She thus stressed the importance of vaccination of the 20 to 30 age group.
As of Monday, first dose coverage in the 20 to 29 age group was 37.7%, with 12.5% having received the second dose as well.
Among persons vaccinated on Monday were 27,873 persons who received the first dose of Sinopharm and 5,895 persons who received the second dose of Sinopharm. In total, 10,959,265 persons have received the first dose of Sinopharm and 9,033,321 persons have received the second dose of the vaccine.
The first dose of AstraZeneca has been administered to 1,448,177 persons and the second dose has been administered to 1,044,504 persons. On Monday, 766 persons received the first dose of AstraZeneca, and 23,616 persons received the second dose.
The first dose of Moderna was administered to 889 persons on Monday and 71 persons received the second dose. The first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has been administered to a total of 782,959 persons and the second dose has been administered to 759,018 persons.
The Epidemiology Unit states that 51 persons received the first dose of Pfizer on Monday, and 26 persons received the second dose of the vaccine. A total of 453,454 persons have received the first dose of Pfizer and 243,849 persons have received the second dose as well.
The first dose of Sputnik V has been administered to 159,089 persons and the second dose has been administered to 43,453 persons. Meanwhile, Deputy Director of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath said it is likely that vaccination will be carried out from a few key centres in future, especially as the country reaches the one-year mark since the vaccination drive commenced. He explained that the need for a booster shot may arise and that this would be given focus instead.
