18 September 2021 08:24 pm
Due to a belief in a super vaccine, intimidation of people and by various parties spreading malicious myths about the effects of vaccination, people between the ages of 20 and 30 do not go for it, whereas it is not due lack of interest in getting the vaccine, the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) Secretary Dr. Shenal Fernando said.
He said owing to above reasons, the country would lose the benefits of vaccination to control the epidemic and we would not be able to reach the expected 70% threshold of vaccination.
Today, the Health Ministry reported that 50% of the population in the country had received both the doses of COVID vaccines until now.
Therefore, by the beginning of October, 50% of the total population of the country will be fully immunized against COVID disease.
The majority of the COVID deaths are reported among senior citizens who are above the age limit of 60 and those who did not receive any of the vaccine doses.
Therefore, the GMOA requested the said age group to get their COVID vaccine as soon as possible to reduce the death rate.
The commencement of the third priority booster dose for those who received both doses will begin in November following the approval of the National Vaccine Committee on Infectious Diseases, Dr. Fernando added. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)