Eight million doses of Pfizer to expire next month

COLOMBO (News 1st); Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Kins Nelson said that eight million doses of the Pfizer vaccine are due to expire in the coming month.

Speaking at the Parliament on Wednesday (7), the MP said that each vaccine has been imported at a rate of USD 10 -15, and questioned as to who approved for the importation of an excess of doses, when the country is facing a foreign exchange crisis.

Pointing out that it is impossible to vaccinate over eight million people before next month, MP Nelson further inquired whether the doses are being safely stored. 

Minister Susil Premjayantha, responding to the MP, said that vaccines are imported after calculations are done with regard to the number of population in need of the dose, and pointed out that most of the population have not obtained the third and the fourth dose. 

While saying that there is no question with regard to the storing of the vaccine, the Minister said that the people have not obtained the third and the fourth dose, while emphasizing that the Health Ministry needs to promote the people to obtain the vaccine more.