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Government to commence vaccination of second dose from May

19 Apr, 2021

By Vyshnavy Velrajh

The Government has decided to commence the inoculation of the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the first week of May.

State Minister of Pharmaceutical Production, Supply, and Regulation Channa Jayasumana told Colombo Gazette that the decision was taken by the Advisory Panel on Non-Communicable Diseases.

He said the vaccination of the second dose will commence from the 1^st week of May.

The State Minister said priority groups will be initially vaccinated similar to that of the first dose.

He said the inoculation of the second dose will be initially provided to frontline healthcare workers, the Military, and Police. Thereafter, it will be provided for people above the age of 60.

The second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine was to be administered from today, but was temporarily suspended by the health authorities.

The vaccination programme was suspended after the Serum Institute of India informed that there would be a delay in dispatching more doses of the vaccine.

The institute had cited the sudden increase in Covid cases in India and demand in the local market for the vaccines, as the cause for the delay in delivery. (Colombo Gazette)

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