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Concerns over Sri Lanka being able to get adequate COVID-19 vaccines
Several experts expressed “worries” whether Sri Lanka would be able to secure adequate COVID-19 vaccines.
Looking at the numbers, one source said on a rough calculation there are around 14.5 million people over 18 years of age and as such the country would need a total of around 30m doses (for both the first and second jabs).
“We got 500,000 doses from India in January as a donation and on February 25, we got another 500,000 doses from around 10m doses we are hoping to purchase. We are expecting to get a total of 1.5m inclusive of the first batch we got on Thursday, in March and April. India has said that it may not be able to give anything in May. Thereafter, we may get larger quantities from June,” the sources said, adding that he is hoping it would happen that way.
Pfizer has also pledged 5m doses in the third quarter of the year (July) at US$ 6.75 a dose, under a direct purchase.
With regard to the global vaccine initiative, COVAX, another source said that the first tranche of 264,000 doses were expected this weekend and thereafter about 1.6m doses up to May.
“Getting the vaccines is one thing, but rolling it out is the challenging part, keeping in mind the shelf-life,” the source added.