(MENAFN- NewsIn.Asia)
Colombo, Oct 23 (DailyMirror) – The vaccination drive for Chinese Nationals would continue until today (23) and whoever received their first and second dose from Port City can get the third dose.
The Chinese Nationals who were recipients of both doses of the Sinopharm vaccine were given the third dose at the Port City premises yesterday (22), an official said.
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Accordingly, this becomes Sri Lanka's first rollout of Sinopharm third-dose 'booster' vaccination.
Speaking to Daily Mirror, Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Regional Epidemiologist Dr. Dinu Guruge said the Chinese Nationals were the first to receive the Sinopharm vaccine in Sri Lanka.
“The vaccination drive for the Chinese Nationals would continue until today (23) and whoever received their first and second dose from Port City can get the third dose. There are about 3,000 persons to get the third dose from the Port City,” she said.
READ: COVID booster dose to be rolled out in Sri Lanka from November 1st
Meanwhile, Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Samitha Ginige told the Daily Mirror that there was a request from Chinese Nationals to the Director General of Health Services that they be given a third dose.
Against this backdrop, the Government officially announced today that the booster dose will be given to frontline workers of the health, military, police, tourism and other sectors who are fighting against Covid-19 from November 01.
The Chinese Embassy in March this year had requested the Government to prioritise the Chinese nationals in Sri Lanka when giving the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine.
READ: Sri Lanka's entire population over 30 fully vaccinated
Accordingly, the Sinopharm vaccine rollout for the Chinese workers commenced on April 05 in Sri Lanka and ended on May 05.
As per the statistics of the Epidemiology Unit, a total of 2,865 Chinese Nationals have received the first dose of the Sinopharm while 2,435 were offered the second dose.
Former Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi had informed the Parliament last April that Sri Lankans would not be administered with the Sinopharm until the safety of the vaccine was ensured by the health authorities.
Subsequently, the Sinopharm vaccine rollout for Sri Lankans began from May 08 and it is the widely used vaccine in Sri Lanka at present.
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