LNP – One million vials of Sinopharm vaccines due tomorrow: Channa Jayasumana

Sri Lanka would receive another consignment of one million doses of Sinopharm vaccines tomorrow, Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals State Minister Channa Jayasumana said today.

He told parliament that 65,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccines would also be expected to reach Sri Lanka on Friday.

The Minister said 15,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine would be given as second dose to people in Gothatuwa while the rest will be given to Kandy District.

He also said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had agreed to grant 264,000 doses of Covishield vaccine under the COVAX facility to be given as the second dose to the recipients of the Covishield vaccines donated under the COVAX facility earlier.

“Sri Lanka expects to receive the 264,000 doses within the first two weeks of July,” he said.

He also said the US has agreed to provide Johnson & Johnson or Moderna vaccines to Sri Lanka and added that the quantity and time period were not yet known.

He said Sri Lanka had requested the US to provide Covishield vaccines and pointed out that there was a practical issue as Covishield vaccine has not been approved by the Drug Regulatory Authority in the USA.