COLOMBO, Jul 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, yesterday, directed the Health Ministry, to administer Pfizer vaccines on those who had received the AstraZeneca as their first jabs, in the capital, Colombo.
Sri Lanka’s Health Ministry received 26,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccines on Monday, after the State Pharmaceutical Corporation purchased it from the United States.
The president said, out of the total 26,000 doses received, 25,000 doses should be administered as the second jabs, for those who received the AstraZeneca as their first doses, in the capital, Colombo.
According to medical officials, Colombo has been one of the worst affected by the spread of the COVID-19 variant in Sri Lanka.
Following the president’s directive, Colombo Mayor, Rosy Senanayake was quoted by local media as saying, the vaccine will be administered on Colombo residents between 55 and 69, who obtained the Astrazeneca vaccine as their first doses.
Senanayake said, the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), had already inoculated 88 percent of Colombo residents, who are 70 years and above, with the Astrazeneca vaccine, as the second dose.
Senanayake said, the CMC will now embark on inoculating those between the ages of 55 and 69 with the Pfizer doses.
Sri Lanka has already had a mass scale vaccination programme underway, across the country, after authorities received Sinopharm vaccines from China.– NNN-AGENCIES
