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Govt. seeks bilateral agreement with India to get COVID-19 vaccine

31 December 2020 10:23 am - 20     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The government is exploring the possibility of obtaining a coronavirus vaccine under a bilateral agreement with India, an official said yesterday.

The Serum Institute of India is the maker of Oxford /Astrazeneca vaccine which was cited by the health officials earlier as the best for Sri Lanka.india has begun a twoday dry run for coronavirus vaccination in four states across the country ahead of a full roll-out in January.

Principal Advisor to President Lalith Weeratunga who has been assigned to engage with the relevant stakeholders to obtain a vaccine said Sri Lanka would seek such an arrangement with India to secure access to a vaccine being manufactured.he said it would help boost bilateral ties.

Mr.weeratunga told Daily Mirror the government would seek to get a coronavirus vaccine under a grant or a government-to-government agreement. Otherwise,it will be obtained from an agent selected through a competitive bidding process.

Besides, he said Sri Lanka remains open for the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine or a vaccine being developed in China at the moment.

Asserting that no one would provide any vaccine to Sri Lanka without indemnity, he said legal clearance is in process in this regard.

He said the Attorney General had given certain clearance in this regard. In addition, the government is planning to invoke the national policy on immunization approved by the Cabinet in the past in giving indemnity for suppliers. According to Mr. Weeratunga, the process has to be completed before January 8, 2021.

He said Sri Lanka would be among the very first countries, other than those producing vaccines, to start mass inoculation.

Asked who would receive the jabs first, he said frontline health workers,people with non-communicable diseases and those above 60 would be prioritized.

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) will give us some guidelines in this regard,” he said. (KELUM BANDARA)


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  Comments - 20

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  • Hope Thursday, 31 December 2020 10:28 AM

    Hope India will not supply poor quality.

    Selvakumar Thursday, 31 December 2020 10:54 AM

    India have own vaccines ??, or india given suggestion sri Lanka!!!

    Ram Thursday, 31 December 2020 11:13 AM

    Why? No money, what happened to the 250 Billion OD obtained from BOC. Government playing with all depositor investment money

    Who is advising our government Thursday, 31 December 2020 11:20 AM

    The Serum Institute of India is not a research institute it is like a “Car Assembling Plant For Foreign Cars”. Why we buy from this third rate production when we could buy straight from the advanced countries like Britain,Russia,or China.

    Indian Thursday, 31 December 2020 11:45 AM

    Where is m.wansa ? Now we need India.

    John Stewart Thursday, 31 December 2020 11:48 AM

    There are currently (31 Dec 2020) vaccination programs running in more than 30 countries worldwide so don't think Sri Lanka will be "among the very first countries, other than those producing vaccines, to start mass inoculation."

    Jude Thursday, 31 December 2020 11:52 AM

    The world's largest vaccine maker by volume, Serum Institute of India has already manufactured 50 million doses of Covishield vaccine (soon to be approved by WHO) and SL should GET that vaccine !!

    Michael Ranasinghe Thursday, 31 December 2020 11:54 AM

    Why don't you run to your slave master China for the vaccine ? Anyway we are a pseudo colony of China aren't we ?

    Winston Thursday, 31 December 2020 11:56 AM

    Very good idea and very logical one too. India supplied most of the medicines to South Asia even before the covid crisis.

    BigLobe Thursday, 31 December 2020 12:02 PM

    India is the worlds largest producer of medicinal drugs and the best option is to get the Oxford /Astrazeneca from India. Oxford /Astrazeneca is being approved for use in the UK. As Sri Lanka has no proper testing facility and the know how, it is best to get a approved vaccine and not use Sri Lanka to trail a vaccine.

    sunil Thursday, 31 December 2020 01:17 PM

    to all those India bashers, Serum Institute is the world's largest vaccine manufacturer. While it is not a research facility, they ONLY manufacture vaccines for institutes which have carried out required research and once the authorities have approved it for use

    sudhakar Thursday, 31 December 2020 01:18 PM

    to those who claim we should buy from advanced countries like UK, China or Russia-simple question-can your government offered to buy from these countries? Only thing possible is to get sub standard vaccines from China

    FF Thursday, 31 December 2020 01:22 PM

    THE GOVT IN TWO MINDS WHETHER TO OR NOT GET DOWN VACCINES TO PROVIDE FOR THE COUNTRYMEN

    Dr. Cat Thursday, 31 December 2020 01:51 PM

    No Vaccine can combat this..... Time will tell.

    Joshua Thursday, 31 December 2020 02:46 PM

    Where is rateta panna Denna wimal?

    Said Ali Thursday, 31 December 2020 03:04 PM

    It's astounding to see some comments about quality of vaccine from India and how ilinformed and idiotic we srilankans are. We generally as a country don't produce anything and questions a country like India think for more racial reasons. Look what is happening around you we are currently good for nothing as a country.

    Tea plucker Thursday, 31 December 2020 03:41 PM

    Best to join India as another state.

    FF Thursday, 31 December 2020 10:09 PM

    THE PATRIOTS ARE HIDING WHILE THE GOVT GO OUT BEGGING

    vithura Friday, 01 January 2021 01:03 AM

    Does not the Govt. have faith in Chinese vaccine?

    parakrama siriwadena Friday, 01 January 2021 07:56 AM

    Lets look at these options scientifically. Make your criticism constructive without filling this forum with crappy stuff. If Astra-Zeneca Oxford vaccine is made in India under licence that would be the best option. Because Pfizer-Biotec needs huge logistics to transform our cold chains to ultra cold ones. An additional cost. Even Moderna will have some logistical limitations. We don't want vaccines to be spoilt if we are unable keep them under required conditions. Astra-Zeneca was said to be cheap and logistics will be cheaper especially in airlifting from India. Also it doesn't need ultra cold conditions.


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Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

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