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Friday Sep 20, 2024
Friday, 30 July 2021 03:39 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
National COVID-19 Vaccination Task Force Chairman and Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga gestures during a briefing to the media yesterday at the newly opened Presidential Media Centre
The President’s Office yesterday expressed confidence that all above the age of 30, numbering 11.5 million, will be vaccinated by the end of August or latest by early September, up from 72% or 8.28 million at present.
The success of rapid vaccination so far and roll out of future initiatives were shared by National COVID-19 Vaccination Task Force Chairman and Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga and Spokesperson to the President Kingsley Rathnayaka yesterday after inaugurating the Presidential Media Centre in Fort.
With nearly 1 million people vaccinated within the past three days, it was revealed that as of 28 July, over 8.2 million have been inoculated with the first dose against COVID-19 and over 1.8 million have been fully vaccinated.
“Our target is, by the end of August or by early September, to have 11.5 million people of 30 years and above to be fully vaccinated,” Weeratunga said.
“The balance group of 4.5 million people – those between ages 12 and 30 – will be vaccinated by the end of December,” he added. The latter group will be segregated to 12-18 years and 18-30 years.
Rathnayake said, as of 28 July, 72% of people over the age of 30 years in the country had been given their first dose.
“84% of people over the age of 30 years in the Colombo District have been given the first dose. In the Gampaha District, more than 93% have received the first dose. In the Kalutara district, this percentage has exceeded 85%. More than 99% of people over the age of 30 years in the Matale District have received their first dose,” he revealed.
The duo said the rapid vaccination was possible following the receipt of 12.34 million doses of vaccines comprising of 10.7 million jabs of Sinopharm, 1.26 million Covishield, 202,000 Pfizer and 180,000 Sputnik.
Weeratunga said the Government has ordered a further consignment of 8 million doses of Sinopharm. He estimated State expenditure on procured vaccines so far is around $ 60-65 million or over Rs. 13 billion. State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana, early this week, said over Rs. 15 billion has been spent so far.
Sri Lanka will also receive 1.47 million Covishield vaccines from Japan starting from Saturday. It has been decided to allocate 600,000 doses for those who have taken the first dose in the Colombo District. The President has instructed that the remaining doses be given as the first and second doses to the people of the Kegalle District, according to Rathnayake.
He also said at present, a mobile vaccination service for those who are ill and unable to leave their homes is already in operation on the instructions of the President.
“In this way, the Government is implementing a vaccination program that covers all groups of people,” the Spokesman for the President said.
“As a result of these organised initiatives and the commitment of the Government led by the President Rajapaksa, as well as the health and security sectors, Sri Lanka has now become one of the fastest vaccinating countries in South Asia,” he added.
According to the Spokesman, the President always instructed that procurement and distribution of vaccines should be done in a more transparent manner.
“Even the World Bank has appreciated the methods followed by Sri Lanka in the procurement process for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines. They have stated that Sri Lanka is one of the leading countries in South Asia in terms of transparency and preciseness of vaccine procurement,” Rathnayake said.
