SL doctor who received Pfizer vaccine says maintaining hygiene still important

• Jaffna-born Dr. Premachandran has been residing in the UK for the past 24 years and now serves at the Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey

A Sri Lankan doctor residing in the United Kingdom, one of the first few to receive the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine says the vaccine has been a blessing and encouragement to continue treating patients. “The vaccine is the only security we have,” he said in an interview with BBC Sinhala.

Stating that he is fortunate to be one of the first few people to receive the coveted vaccine Dr. Prem Premachandran said that since it is the first vaccine against the virus, the results cannot be yet ascertained. However he said that the development of this vaccine has followed clinical trials and research, adding that no side effects had been reported thus far.

Jaffna-born Dr. Premachandran has been residing in the UK for the past 24 years and now serves at the Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey. He received the vaccine from the hospital on December 8, the same day the first patient received the vaccine in the UK, becoming the first patient to receive the vaccine from Frimley Park Hospital.
Dr. Premachandran added that regardless of receiving the vaccine the public must maintain hygiene practices such as hand washing and social distancing. “We must continue with these practices, as we have a long way to go,” he said.