380,000 COVID Vaccines from WHO's COVAX to SL

COLOMBO (News 1st): A consignment of 380,000 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines provided under the Covax facility of the World Health Organisation will arrive in the country before Friday (Mar. 05), health authorities said. Under the Covax facility of the WHO, 1.4 million doses of the COVID-19 Vaccine will be provided to Sri Lanka before May this year, Dr. Palitha Abeykoon, the WHO Director-General’s Special Envoy of South Asian region told News 1st on Wednesday (Mar. 03). Whilst emphasizing the importance of getting vaccinated against the virus, Dr. Abeykoon also pointed out that everyone must follow COVID-19 health guidelines even after receiving the jab. "It is required to vaccinate at least 70% of the population against the virus, which could take some time," he stressed. Thereby, Dr. Palitha Abeykoon once again reminded the people to ensure that basic COVID-19 health guidelines such as, wearing a face mask, washing hands, maintaining social distances, and avoiding crowded and high-risk places, should be followed at all times to avoid another wave.