USD 50 million allocated to purchase COVISHIELD Vaccine

COLOMBO (News 1st): The Finance Ministry has allocated a sum of USD 50 million to purchase 9 million doses of India's AstraZeneca COVISHIELD Vaccine, a top official said. Preparations are currently underway to purchase the required doses from India, Dr. S. R. Attygalle, the Secretary to the Finance Ministry told News 1st on Friday (Feb. 12). According to Dr. S. R. Attygalle, the vaccines will be brought to the country once the diplomatic arrangements conclude. Meanwhile, plans are underway to administer the COVID-19 vaccine on 600,000 people daily, starting from 1st March this year, Dr. Amal Harsha de Silva, the Secretary to the State Ministry of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control told News 1st on Friday (Feb. 12). The basic infrastructure required for the mass inoculation is being developed at the present, he noted. The COVID-19 vaccine will be administered at 4000 centres island wide.