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More AstraZeneca vaccines due in SL through COVAX
The first batch of vaccines from COVAX, around 1.7 million doses is expected in Sri Lanka towards the end of February, the Sunday Times understands.
“Most probably it may be the AstraZeneca vaccine, as emergency use listing (EUL) by the World Health Organization (WHO) is expected next week,” sources said, adding that this vaccine was first approved by the United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), while now it has got the nod from the European Medicines Agency as well.
The vaccine developed by Oxford University and British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is being produced as AZD1222 (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) in the UK and as COVISHIELD at the Serum Institute of India.
Sri Lanka’s National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has so far only approved COVISHIELD for emergency use and there is no change in the registration status, the Sunday Times understands, as the rollout among frontline health and security forces personnel continued from a donation of 500,000 COVISHIELD doses from India. As of Thursday (February 4), around 126,000 people had got the first jab of two-doses.
COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access), meanwhile, is a global initiative which works with vaccine manufacturers to provide countries worldwide equitable access to safe and effective vaccines once they are approved and licensed. It is co-led by GAVI (the Vaccine Alliance), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) and the WHO.
Assuring that the Sri Lankan authorities, under the guidance of the Presidential Task Force on Vaccines headed by Advisor Lalith Weeratunga, with strict evaluation and approval by the NMRA would only bring into the country safe and efficacious vaccines after studying all clinical trial data, sources pointed out that the pursuit of science-based evidence has paid rich dividend.
Good protection &
break in transmission
An interim paper on the AstraZeneca vaccine has found that from the first dose there is 76% protection against COVID-19, lasting up to three months (12 weeks) and that if the booster is given at 12 weeks (earlier it was to be given at 4 weeks), there is over 80% protection, it is learnt.
“A crucial fact uncovered by performing nasal swabs on those vaccinated in the UK with the AstraZeneca vaccine, is that in 65%, the transmission of COVID-19 was interrupted after the first dose. This means that there is a break in the chain of transmission, while also protecting the people who have got vaccinated,” a source said, adding that it is not only safe but at around US$ 3 it is also cost-effective.
Looking at COVAXIN, the vaccine manufactured by India’s Bharat Biotech, another source pointed out that Phase 3 efficacy data are not available. This is while an interim report on the Russian vaccine Sputnik V developed by Gamaleya Institute, published in the ‘Lancet’ looks encouraging. But more data are needed.
The Sunday Times understands that the NMRA has received applications for review of both Sputnik V and COVAXIN and the Expert Panel has evaluated them but finds that the efficacy evidence submitted at the moment is not adequate to approve them for emergency-use listing. More evidence has been requested regarding efficacy.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that papers with regard to Sinopharm, the Chinese vaccine have been sent yesterday to the NMRA while no documents have been received from Pfizer, the American vaccine so far.
“Pfizer has said that if we show that we are interested only, that it would send the documents,” a source added.
(Please see the statement of the Association of Medical Specialists)
| SPC explains its role With regard to vaccines against COVID-19, the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) of Sri Lanka has explained its role and the current status of vaccines being considered for import, in a media release issued this week. The SPC has also assured transparency in the process. It states that the government has taken a policy decision for SPC to be the sole importer of the COVID-19 vaccines but even prior to this decision, the SPC was looking into registering a local representative for Russia’s Sputnik V, which had no representative. Now the application and relevant documents from the representative, Ceyoka, have beem submitted to the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA). With the government’s decision not to allow private institutions but the SPC to import the vaccines against COVID-19, the SPC is looking at 5 types of globally-produced vaccines. The media release states: n Arrangements are being made to sign an agreement with Citi Health, the local agent for India’s Serum Institute and once the paperwork is completed it would be submitted to the NMRA. n SPC is in touch with Ceyoka to get Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. n Arrangements are underway to establish an agreement between India’s Bharath Biotech and its Sri Lankan distributor, Ceyoka. n Ceyoka is in the process of finalizing the paperwork with regard to the distribution of the Chinese vaccine Sinopharm. n The Pfizer vaccine which has been approved by the WHO will be made available in Sri Lanka through Hemas Pharmaceuticals and their representatives in India. n Hemas Pharmaceuticals, the agent for the AstraZeneca vaccine, has submitted an agreement which is to be signed with them. This has been sent to the Attorney General for perusal. | |
| Plans to vaccinate around 65% of population above 18 years of age “The government is planning to buy 18 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine which is equivalent to 9 million people being vaccinated. We have placed a request and are awaiting confirmation from the Government of India. We placed the order sometime last week,” said Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera, when asked by the Sunday Times. The plan is to vaccinate around 65% of the population who are above 18 years of age. Within that group, there will be some people who are ineligible to get the vaccine because of contraindications, it is learnt. According to Dr. Samaraweera the priority list includes frontline health workers, frontline armed forces personnel, those who are above 60 years of age and those below 60 who have comorbidities and also ‘essential’ service workers such as those manning the airports and ports; petroleum facilities, power plants, telecommunications, etc. COVAX has promised Sri Lanka vaccine doses for 20% of its population, which means 8 million doses to cover 4 million people. Dr. Samaraweera confirmed that through COVAX, Sri Lanka will get around 1.9 million doses shortly of the AstraZeneca vaccine and 30-40% of that stock will be coming within the first quarter of the year, once this vaccine has got emergency use listing (EUL) from the WHO. |