Sinopharm vaccine won’t be given to Lankans until safety aspect ensured: Pavithra

• Sri Lankans will get it after  WHO approves it for emergency use 

By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera  

China’s Sinopharm vaccine will not be given to Sri Lankans until the safety aspect of the vaccine is ensured by the health authorities, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi 
said yesterday.   

She told Parliament that the Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases and the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) had been analyzing data on the vaccine to ensure the safety of the vaccine.  

She said only the Chinese nationals were given the vaccine at present and added that Sri Lankans will be given only after the World Health Organisation (WHO) approved it for emergency use.  

She said the shelf life of the consignment of the Sinopharm vaccine received from China will end only in 2023. “We can use it until then. We have to only bear the storage cost,” she said.  
Responding to a question raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, the minister said Sri Lanka received the consignment of sinopharm vaccine as a donation adding that no step has been taken to purchase the Sinopharm vaccine.    

• The shelf life of the consignment of the Sinopharm vaccine received from China will end only in 2023