Sri Lanka to negotiate with China for more Sinopharm vaccines

Sri Lanka is looking to negotiate with China for more Sinopharm vaccines in the coming weeks, Dr Sudarshini  Fernandopulle, State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control said yesterday (8).

Dr Fernandopulle took part in the event where the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine  was administered for locals for the first time in the country yesterday. The vaccination programme took place at the MOH office in Panadura for 100 locals.

Earlier the vaccine was used for Chinese working in Sri Lanka,

The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) yesterday granted approval under emergency-use listing (EUL) for the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, soon after the World Health Organization (WHO) gave its approval.

In January, the NMRA granted EUL for the AstraZeneca vaccine and in early March for Sputnik V.

While 15,000 Sputnik V vaccines were brought into the country this week, China had donated 600,000 doses of which 5,318 doses have been used to immunise Chinese workers in the country.

Health officials confirmed that 670 people in Gothatuwa in the 30- to 60-year age group have been vaccinated.

Meanwhile the government has placed an order for the import of 2.2 million PCR test kits to increase the number of tests.