COLOMBO (News 1st): Russia’s Sputnik-V jab will be administered starting today (May 06), the State Ministry of Primary Health Care, Epidemics, and COVID Disease Control said.

“The jab will be administered on the residents of Gothatuwa in Kolonnawa, where high numbers of COVID-19 cases are reported,” Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle, the State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics, and COVID Disease Control told News 1st on Thursday (May 06).

According to State Minister Sudharshani Fernandopulle, the Sputnik-V jab should be stored at -20 degrees celsius unlike the Oxford AstraZeneca jab, which can be stored in normal refrigeration temperatures like other vaccines and can be transported in vaccine carriers.

Thereby, she noted that the Sputnik-V jab requires freezer trucks for storage and transportation.

“A stock of 15,000 doses of the Sputnik-V jab was provided initially to ascertain the problems that may arise when we start using the vaccine,” Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle elaborated.

Whilst pointing out that the respective agreements were signed to obtain the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as well, State Minister Dr. Fernandopulle was hopeful Sri Lanka could receive the Pfizer jab in the future.

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