Booster shots likely from October
Date
8/31/2021 3:53:28 AM
(MENAFN- Colombo Gazette) By Easwaran Rutnam
The government is to consider administering booster shots from October, especially for the vulnerable groups.
The matter had been discussed during the COVID Task Force meeting held last Friday, sources told Daily Mirror.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had requested medical experts to study, once the current program to administer the first and second jab is completed, if priority should be given to administer booster shots for those above 60 years of age or to administer the first and second dose for those below 30.
State Pharmaceuticals Corporation Chairman, Neuro Surgeon Dr. Prasanna Gunasena informed the President that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has not yet approved administering booster shots.
He said that the booster must be administered to high-risk groups, especially when the immunity level drops after 5-6 months.
Dr. Prasanna Gunasena has said that the authorities will be able to administer the first and second dose of the vaccine to those above the age of 18 from the stocks expected in September.
He said that remaining Pfizer vaccine stocks and some expected in September and 4 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine expected in October can be used as a booster.
As a result, he said that from October the booster shots can be administered as by then it would be 5-6 months since the first group got the Covid vaccine.
A few countries, including the US are preparing to distribute Covid-19 booster shots next month as new data shows that vaccine protection wanes over time.
Health experts in the US have said that with the dominance of the Delta variant it is now very clear that immunity starts to fall after the initial two doses of the vaccine.
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