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Blood bank prepared to store COVID vaccines

15 Jan, 2021

By Indika Sri Aravinda

The National Blood Center of Sri Lanka has revealed it has the capacity to store the COVID-19 vaccines obtained by the Government, at the required temperature of -70 degrees Celsius.

The Center?s Director Dr. Lakshman Edirisinghe told Colombo Gazette that the blood bank currently has the storage capacity to stock nearly 500,000 vaccines under the required temperature.

He said the Health Ministry had made an inquiry from the National Blood Center in this regard a few days ago.

Dr. Edirisinghe said the Center has informed the Health Ministry that it is prepared to store the vaccines at any given time, taking into consideration the national crisis.

The Director of the National Blood Center of Sri Lanka said, however, they have not been informed of any particulars as yet regarding the vaccines or the countries from which it will be obtained.

The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the United States of America requires to be stored under a temperature of -20 degrees Celsius. (Colombo Gazette)

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