FR filed against the use of Sinopharm vaccine in Sri Lanka

Colombo (News 1st); A Fundamental Rights application was filed with the Supreme Court on Friday (09) seeking an order to be issued on Sri Lanka's health authority preventing them from using the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, without proper approval from the country's National Medicines Regulatory Authority.

The President of the People’s Movement for the Rights of Patients Louis Benedict and Secretary Christine Perera filed the Fundamental Rights petition. Health Minister Pavithra Vanniarachchi, State Minister of Pharmaceutical Production, Supply and Regulation Professor Channa Jayasumana, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority, and its Chairman Professor Asita De Silva were among those named as respondents in the application. The application notes that Sri Lanka accepted 600,000 doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine for Covid-19 without the approval of the NMRA and requested for an order to be made on the health authority ordering it to appoint an expert board to obtain recommendations for the use of the said vaccine. The People’s Movement for the Rights of Patients filed the application seeking an Interim Order preventing the health authorities from utilizing the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine for Covid-19 prevention in Sri Lanka.