We did not at any point in time exert any influence on the National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA) to approve COVID-19 vaccines, Head of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 Vaccination Plan and National Development and Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga said.
Responding to a question by a journalist at the special media conference held yesterday at the Government Information Department, he said that the NMRA was allowed to perform its task unhindered.
“At least 50 to 60 percent of the target group that we are looking at can be vaccinated during the course of the year. This time frame could be expedited,” he said.
He further said that the Chinese Government has also informed us that they are willing to donate 300,000 vaccine doses of its Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to Sri Lanka. Once the NMRA goes through its studies and approves Sinopharm, we can start the procurement process.
The COVID-19 vaccination is absolutely voluntary and we can’t compel people to get the vaccine.
“But this is very good opportunity provided to the people and we should make the best use of it. We will invite people for the vaccination process depending on the age groups. We are using the data from the Elections Commission at the MOH level and Grama Niladhari level, in order to find out the age groups of the people. We will also get them to sign a note mentioning that he or she is getting the vaccine voluntarily,” he said.
At present there are no alternative paths to receive the vaccine and the vaccination will be given free of charge only through the Government’s vaccination programme. There is a huge demand from the frontline health workers to include them into the list to receive the vaccine.
Deputy Director General Public Health Services Dr. Susie Perera said that the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to be implemented in a very careful and organised manner and the Health Ministry has recommended that 80 percent of the country’s population be vaccinated.
She said that the vaccination process will begin tomorrow while giving priority to the frontline health workers.
She further added that the people should appreciate this special programme which is being implemented to prevent the spread of the virus in Sri Lanka and not to compare the vaccination programme in other countries with our vaccination programme and that it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health to do the right thing.
However, compared to other countries in the region, Sri Lanka has one of the best immunization programmes in the world, and other countries are coming to Sri Lanka to receive training in this regard.
Epidemiologist Dr. Samitha Ginige also spoke.
