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Vaccination centres drying up as youngsters refuse vaccines

21 September 2021 07:30 am - 11     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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  • Authorities call on them to be more responsible and take jabs
  • Many youngsters demanding for Pfizer and Moderna
  • Western countries attitude towards Sinopharm causing a blow
  • 2 to 3 deaths among youngsters daily
  • Oxygen-dependent patients reduced drastically
  • Majority of population need to be vaccinated to return to normalcy

Health authorities yesterday raised serious concerns over the lack of interest among the 20 to 29 age group to get themselves vaccinated against COVID19 with many having fears that it may lead to infertility while some preferred unproven natural remedies.

Senior doctors told Daily Mirror that only an estimated 40% of the 20 to 29 age group had received the vaccines, island wide, which was a very poor percentage at a time when Sri Lanka was aiming to inoculate all its citizens against the virus as soon as possible as the Delta variant had already claimed many lives.

According to figures, in the month of August alone 95 percent of those who had succumbed to the virus were unvaccinated while Sri Lanka continued to report at least 2 to 3 deaths daily among youngsters.

It is alleged that some self-claimed ayurvedic practitioners were capitalizing on the situation by selling unproven herbal remedies claiming that they would help cure the virus

This is alarming and health authorities have urged the targeted population to keep aside their preferences and take the available vaccines.

Doctors said that vaccination centers were drying up in several areas due to the lack of interest among the youngsters even in Colombo where many youngsters were waiting to travel to the western countries in a few years.

As a result, youngsters who needed to be vaccinated were demanding for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and were refusing to take the Sinopharm vaccine, to travel to Western countries in the future.“the Western countries have also created a fear against the Sinopharm vaccines whereas it has been proven that Sinopharm vaccines are also very good. The youngsters have their preferences,” doctors said.

Health authorities have warned that while the risk of the Delta variant causing severe symptoms in unvaccinated adults remained, even the youngsters who were unvaccinated were at equal risk and if the country aimed to return to normalcy, then this age group needed to be vaccinated soon.

“If they have any fears they can always reach out to the medical workers who will explain the advantages of the vaccine. Believing in myths that it causes infertility and then having preferences to travel overseas is not what we need right now,” a senior doctor said.

It is alleged that some selfclaimed ayurvedic practitioners were capitalizing on the situation by selling unproven herbal remedies claiming that they would help cure the virus. Some youngsters were victim to this, doctors alleged.

Meanwhile, the overall COVID-19 situation in the country had improved within the past few days with the number of oxygen-dependent patients reducing considerably. In the IDH alone there were oxygen-equipped beds that were free while the infection rate had also reduced.

Health authorities have urged people to continue maintaining health guidelines. (JAMILA HUSAIN)


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  Comments - 11

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  • treating masses shabily Tuesday, 21 September 2021 07:53 AM

    If Sinofram is reliable why didn't politicians take it? The President, PM, Opposition Leader should've set an example.

    Ranaweera Tuesday, 21 September 2021 10:59 AM

    They took what was available at that time. That was covishield . Army Chief took Sinopharm. It was opposition leader and other opposition MPs who waited for Pfizer.

    Sandy Tuesday, 21 September 2021 07:58 AM

    Don't give priority to people who don't want it ,there are people outside Colombo who needs it

    Siribiris Tuesday, 21 September 2021 09:53 AM

    Everybody knows the quality of synopharm . That must be the reason .

    Ranaweera Tuesday, 21 September 2021 11:01 AM

    Any vaccine is good for 6 months. Sinopharm is good for the younger people than old people. It is proven in UAE. After 6 months you will need booster even if you had Pfizer.

    kudson Tuesday, 21 September 2021 11:03 AM

    the country is drying up

    Malrio Jayasundera Tuesday, 21 September 2021 11:13 AM

    Sinopharm has been approved by WHO for emergency use only

    Saman Tuesday, 21 September 2021 11:15 AM

    If the government really want to address this issue then what they should do is to give that ‘white van

    Chanuka Perera Tuesday, 21 September 2021 01:36 PM

    If Sinapharm is that effective, who is government planning to give pfizer as a booster shot? They could have given Sinopharm as the booster shot to those who already got Sinapharm.

    Daily mirror reader Tuesday, 21 September 2021 03:31 PM

    After booster, What is next? What is the Next vaccine name? So, that means every other 6 month big pharmaceutical companies will use the public and earn profit through this vaccine. They themself may create viruses and speard to survive in the market. Then how people can lead a normal life. No one know what is the long term side effect of all these vaccines will do in each person's life.

    Hasheeb Hazari Tuesday, 21 September 2021 05:36 PM

    People who are trying to migrate prefer a vaccine which is approved. What is required is to give people a choice. Whoever has a passport or some documentation to get the vaccine they prefer. There are people who are hesitant or skeptical about vaccine reliability but there are also people who are expecting for an approved vaccine.


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