15 million Sri Lankans to be vaccinated by 31st December - Lalith Weeratunga

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka will conduct a regional census to ascertain the number of people who are yet to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, said Principal Advisor to the President and the Chief of the Presidential Task Force on the Procurement of COVID Vaccine Lalith Weeratunga on Thursday (29).

Weeratunga speaking at the inaugural press briefing at the newly opened President's Media Center told reporters that a majority of the COVID-19 deaths reported in Sri Lanka are those who did not obtain the vaccine or only obtained one dose of the vaccine.

He said the government aims to vaccinate 11.5 million people over the age of 30 by 31st of August 2021 and another 04 million are to be vaccinated thereafter.

Lalith Weeratunga noted that the government plans to provide the vaccine to all Sri Lankans between the ages of 12 to 30.

He said when all these plans are put into action, around 15 million people in Sri Lanka will be vaccinated by 31st December 2021.

Discussions with the President in the future will determine if a decision will be reached to make it mandatory to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine.