7 May 2021 09:10 pm
The World Health Organization (WHO), on Friday approved China's Sinopharm vaccine under the emergency use license, the world body announced.
The SARS-CoV-2 vaccine by China National Biotec Group (CNBG) -- a unit of state-owned Sinopharm -- joined five other vaccines on the WHO's emergency list.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a briefing that this expands the list of COVID-19 vaccines that COVAX can buy, and gives countries confidence to expedite their own regulatory approval, and to import and administer a vaccine.
Sri Lanka was awaiting the WHO to approve the vaccine under emergency use to roll out the 600,000 stocks which it received as a grant from China last month. The vaccines which have an expiry of 2022 were lying in warehouses in the country as NMRA were yet to list it uner emergency use and so was the WHO.
State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana said the country will begin to administer the Sinopharm vaccines on locals from next week and each individual will receive two jabs each similar to the Astra Zeneca.
A Spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in Colombo told Daily Mirror that more than 100 million doses of the Sinopharm had been sent out to the world, including in this region, like Pakistan. Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives and even Afghanistan. All these countries had already started the vaccinations using it. Some ASEAN countries, Latin America, in the Middle East as well as Serbia and Hungary in Europe had also begun to use the Sinopharm. More than 40 countries have approved the Sinopharm for emergency use. And so far there is not a single severe side effect reported, the Embassy Spokeperson said. (JAMILA HUSAIN)