Sri Lanka facing a shortage of 600,000 vaccine doses - Dr. Sudarshini

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka is facing a shortage of 600,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVISHIELD vaccine to complete the 2nd round of the vaccine program.

"We have nothing to hide about it and the government is not at fault," said State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics, and COVID Disease Control, Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle on Tuesday (04). "India's Serum Institute will not be able to deliver the vaccines that we ordered, on time," said Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle citing the unexpected COVID-19 spread in India as the reason for the delay. Sri Lanka is also looking towards the research that is taking place about a cocktail vaccine for the second dose to those who already received the vaccine in Sri Lanka, she said adding a decision will only be made on the matter based on global research and approval. Under the first round, 925,242 persons were vaccinated and at present, there is a shortage of 600,000 doses as the island nation so far did not get its vaccines ordered from India. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8TmMzg6QCE[/embed]