Vaccine Roll-Out Takes Ugly Turn In Sri Lanka

Spotlight on Sputnik V

- Kamanthi Wickramasinghe

Frustration is growing among as many as 600,000 Sri Lankans awaiting the second dose of their AstraZeneca vaccine. With emerging COVID variants, medical experts warn that second doses of vaccines need to be given as soon as initial clinical protection starts waning off in order to boost immunity. While global vaccine production has already been challenged countries have been advised to follow a scientific process in administering vaccines. But vaccine inequality has allegedly existed ever since Sri Lanka started receiving vaccines and speculation is rife that those in power forced their way to get both jabs of vaccines, not only for them but for their kith and kin as well. From issuing chits based on political preferences to requests made by certain trade unions to get their immediate family members vaccinated, vaccine roll-out in Sri Lanka has taken an ugly turn. Recently, another incident of getting consent for one dose of Sputnik V vaccines was reported from Kandy.

EXPERT COMMITTEE APPROVED DECISION

When inquired, Co-cabinet spokesperson and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that a special committee headed by virologists have approved to administer at least one dose of Sputnik V which is effective for around six months. “There were several recommendations on the administration of 50,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine. The committee included Dr. S. M Arnold, Deputy Director-General of Health Services, Dr. Nalika Gunawardena, National Professional Officer, WHO, South-East Asian region, Dr. Hasitha Tissera, Senior Medical Epidemiologist and Prof. Neelika Malavige, Professor of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine at Jayawardenapura University,” said minister Rambukwella.