Steps have been taken to provide the recently received Pfizer vaccine to youths between the ages of 18 and 30 in the Hambantota District. The vaccination was scheduled to be carried out by the Sri Lanka Army in collaboration with the National Youth Services Council today. However, the source said it has been postponed to commence from tomorrow (03).
However, a senior official of the Ministry of Health told Lankasara that the health sector is surprised in this regard due to several reasons. According to him, there has been no direct involvement of the Ministry of Health in giving these vaccines to the youth and it is being done entirely by the Army despite the protests of the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) which is pro-government.
Sri Lanka has so far received 764,560 doses of Pfizer, of which about 500,000 have been given as first and second doses. Although the health sector has asked for priority to be given to the children of frontline health workers who are currently at high risk for the Pfizer vaccine that has arrived in the country, this has not been addressed and the medical community has pointed out to the government that as many Sinopharm vaccines as possible should be given to youths between the ages of 18 and 30. And to provide pfizers for people at high risk.
