Sunday Dec 22, 2024
Sunday Dec 22, 2024
Wednesday, 22 December 2021 00:07 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) yesterday urged the public to get vaccinated and follow safety guidelines ahead of a possible increase in COVID-19 cases.
According to SLMA President Dr. Padma Gunaratne, the country could be looking at an increase in COVID-19 detections due to gatherings during the festive season and Omicron spread in the country.
“This is the festive season, so we see a lot of gatherings. In addition to this, the Omicron variant has been detected in over 70 countries. It has by now been found that the Omicron variant spreads 70% faster than the Delta variant,” she said.
In response to a question on the spread of the Omicron variant in Sri Lanka, Dr. Gunaratne said the results of a fairly large sample were required to determine how widespread the Omicron variant was in the country.
The SLMA President explained that it was a huge issue that there were myths about the booster dose, which discouraged persons from getting the third dose.
“It is a treatment method we can recommend fully and the vaccine is especially important to prevent COVID-19 infection among persons with chronic illness like heart disease, asthma and high blood pressure, and those who have suffered from a stroke. The impact of contracting COVID-19 is more severe for these persons than any adverse effects from the vaccine,” Dr. Gunaratne explained.
She thus urged persons, especially those over 60 years, to get the booster dose.
According to Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, COVID-19 vaccination cards will be made mandatory when accessing public places starting 1 January 2022.
While saying it was difficult to comment on how effective this would be, the SLMA President said it is a measure that should be implemented.
Dr. Gunaratne added that she did not believe in taking legal action against persons who do not carry their vaccination card with them, but a delay of ten or fifteen minutes when entering public places could encourage persons to carry their vaccination card with them.
This was important for the safety of others, the SLMA President said, adding that we have a responsibility towards others, especially when in public.
