First child vaccination rollout from tomorrow

Administering Pfizer vaccines as shield against  Covid virus for children between the ages of 12 and 19 will commence at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) Colombo tomorrow, the Health Ministry said.

They said priority will be given to children who are suffering from chronic illnesses, especially thalassemia.

To coincide with the pilot programme at LRH, the vaccinations will be  given in Kurunegala and Anuradhapura districts also from tomorrow.

Children in the Western Province will get their first vaccine dose on Monday (27), and later the vaccine will be given at the government hospitals across the country.

The vaccine will be given to patients at the Apeksha (Cancer) Hospital in Maharagama from next week. Children who have physical and mental complications will be included in the priority group list and separate documents have already been prepared for them.

However, a specialist should provide recommendations for the children with complications, mentioning that they are suffering from diseases which are not suitable for getting the vaccine.

Anyway, the vaccine will be administered to children under the supervision of consultants.

The second vaccine dose would be provided within the next three weeks or a month, the ministry said. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)