Is Sri Lanka prepared to obtain COVID-19 vaccines?

by Staff Writer 14-12-2020 | 8:43 PM

COLOMBO (News1st): Singapore on Monday announced that it has approved the vaccine developed by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German firm BioNTech for its population. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that the vaccine would be offered free for all Singaporeans and long-term residents after receiving the doses by the end of this month. Meanwhile, the Maldives has announced that it hopes to begin COVID-19 vaccination by the first quarter of 2021. COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be offered free for 20 percent of the Maldivian population, under the COVAX facility of the World Health Organization. Maldivian health authorities say that talks are being held with other countries to offer the vaccine for the remainder of its population as well. While the usage of the Pfizer - BioNTech vaccine has been approved by certain countries, the Oxford, Sinovac, and Sputnik vaccines are in the final stage of clinical trials. However, the distribution of the Pfizer - BioNTech vaccine has proven to be challenging as it requires to be offered in two doses and needs to be stored at a temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius. Sri Lanka's arrangements to obtain the vaccine? The World Health Organization has agreed to offer vaccines for 10 percent of the country’s population by mid next year, deputy director-general of health services Dr Hemantha Herath said. The vaccines for COVID-19 require special storage and distribution mechanism known as Cold Chain.

Against such a backdrop, have the authorities identified the vaccine that would be suitable for our country?

Have authorities decided on the mechanism to import the vaccine and the groups that would require the treatment?

The Civil Aviation Authority has informed global aviation authorities that the commercial and passengers flights will be allowed to operate to Sri Lanka from the 26th of this month.

Against such a backdrop, what is the plan that has been developed by authorities to import, store, and distribute the vaccines?