SL on track to fully vaccinate 10% of population by September: WHO Director General

Tuesday, 3 August 2021 02:39 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus yesterday said that Sri Lanka is on track to fully vaccinate 10% of the population by September.

In a tweet posted yesterday, the WHO Director General said: “Thanks to the Government and people of [Sri Lanka] for their efforts, and continued vigilance on proven public health and social measures to suppress the virus.”

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa responded to the WHO Director General’s tweet, assuring commitment to ensuring immunity for all people of Sri Lanka.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus quoted a tweet by WHO Sri Lanka posted on 31 July, which read: “Another day with 500,000+ #vaccinated! Over 3 million in the last 7 days! Let’s safeguard this incredible achievement in the fight against #COVID19 by strong vigilance on other key factors - public health and social measures and social mixing.”

According to Pharmaceutical Production, Supply and Regulation State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana, Sri Lanka has a population of 11.5 million over the age of 30. “Of this, we have vaccinated 10 million persons. We thus have only 1.5 million persons over the age of 30 who are yet to be vaccinated,” he said.

He went on to say that vaccination of persons between ages 18 and 30 will commence once the population over the age of 30 is fully vaccinated. The country is due to receive 4 million doses of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for this purpose.

Meanwhile, Health Ministry Spokesperson Dr. Hemantha Herath said a third dose or booster shot would be considered depending on data released in future.

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